Chain Links No. 4: Gardening and garden-based eating this autumn

All the fall spiders, Roundup rethinking, a tree falls in Oregon, persimmon cookies, and more.

Photo by Frankie Lopez on Unsplash

By Lisa Brunette

This month’s link roundup ranges from creepy to cozy, as befits the season.

Restacks

In keeping with the week’s spooky theme,

Heather Wall

of

Natural Wonders

answers a question you might not have even thought to ask.

Why are there so many spiders in the fall?

Anne Wareham

of

The Not So Bad Tempered Gardener

reminds us that we are all garden designers, regardless of credential.

We are all garden designers

We love

The Ramen Bowl

’s advice on what to do with those parmesan rinds we’ve been saving. This hits us in the sweet spot, tying together economical kitchen methods, old-world cooking, and reuse.

Using Parmesan rinds?

Further afield

• Some of you have likely wondered if you should be concerned about the trend toward vaccinating livestock with mRNA, and that might be a legitimate worry. (GMO/Toxin-Free USA)

• While you’re adding plants to the landscape this fall because it’s a great time to do that, steer clear of invasive ornamental grasses and try these two alternatives instead. (Horticulture Magazine)

• Did you know you could grow and harvest your own ginger indoors? I didn’t either until I read this. (Desert Canyon Farm Green Thoughts)

• We realize glyphosate is a popular herbicide to use on invasive plants, but Brunette Gardens no longer condones that practice. If you’re considering using Roundup in your garden, you might want to read this first. There’s also a guide on lawsuits. (ConsumerNotice.org)

Brunette links

In case you missed it, this post seemed to touch a nerve with a number of readers and went a bit viral.

How to homestead when you don't have a homestead

There’s also a narrated version if you’d rather hear it in my voice, but I struggle to understand why you would.

Podcast No. 37: How to homestead when you don't have a homestead

From the vault

In honor of the trees that are now losing their leaves and going dormant, here’s a 2007 piece I wrote for Crosscut about the demise of the once-largest tree of its kind in the nation, “A Tree Falls in Oregon.” See? I sound much better in print.

Event

For the native-plant enthusiasts out there, we recommend Missouri’s Grow Native! conference, though you’d have to join as a professional member to gain entry. Maybe it’s time?

Recipes

• Our native North American persimmons are in season. Here’s a cookie recipe for them. (Brunette Gardens)

• We’ve filed this cornmeal pound cake with thyme recipe away for a rainy day. (Janie’s Mill)

• Golden milk (a turmeric-spiced elixir) is probably the coziest drink we’ve ever seen. Or smelled. (A Farm Girl in the Making)

Wool gathering

Merino Tech Wool is holding a site-wide sale¹, with as much as 35 percent off wool base layers. Now’s a great time to stock up on your warmies, before the flurries even begin to fly.

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