Autumn

Plants: Rosemary / Oregano / Pomegranate / Grape / Sage / Jalapeño / Carrot / Bees and honey / Lemon / Lime

Recipes: Fermented jalapeño hot sauce / Coriander, lime and garlic dressing / Rosemary and rocket pesto / Grape pizza / Pomegranate, apple cider and rosemary spritzer / Rosemary and sea salt flatbreads / Salted coriander and lime popcorn / Potato, sage and pecorino tarts / Pomegranate and salted dark chocolate bark / Oregano and gingernut cookies / Carrot and ginger Japanese dressing / Lemon curd with mint

By the time autumn rolls around, you’ve probably noticed the days getting shorter and the deciduous plants letting go of their colourful leaves, which fall onto the gradually cooling soil below. In the Southern Hemisphere, the sun reached its highest point in the sky during December (summer solstice); however, by autumn it’s well on its way to brightening up somebody else’s garden in the Northern Hemisphere.

The internet allows us to instantaneously view the gardening activities of our friends around the world. We can see the last beetroot being harvested in Brooklyn during autumn, while we wake in Brisbane to plant the same seeds for spring. We can observe all the seasons as they happen and appreciate the number of growing days we have in different climates.

In Sydney, the days are cooling down, but the ocean remains warm. Southerly swells are greeted with open arms, citrus fruits are ripening, while swapping and trading is in full swing as we make the most of the dwindling daylight hours and dusty pink sunsets.

In autumn, we may have already planted our winter vegies, such as broccoli or cauliflower, and may be putting in our peas and last succession of leafy greens. We might also be looking to get seeds into the ground so they can develop during the cooling temperatures and shortening days leading into winter. If you’re starting your garden project in autumn, ensure that your plants will have enough time to grow before the winter chill sets in. Do they need four weeks, eight weeks or more to develop to a good size before the growth slows in winter?

Timing your plantings comes with practice. The more you talk to people and visit other gardens, the more you’ll appreciate the unique climates we live in and the growing opportunities they offer.