Kate's Blog

I’d process the Black Walnuts today but the car’s at the mechanic’s. So it will have to wait until tomorrow. I always look forward to this time of year, when I can use the car as a tool.

But first, let’s deal with some misconceptions about Black Walnuts. Most stem from the fact that people want to eat them before they’re ready, when they’re really tough to crack and haven’t achieved a full maturity of flavour. Black Walnuts should season for at least three months; a year is better.

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Don’t throw those leaves away – they can be turned into leaf mould, a wonderfully fragrant woodsy material that results when you have kept your leaves for two or three years.

Leaf mould contains trace minerals that have been pulled from deep in the ground by long tree roots, it improves the structure and moisture retention of the soil, and it promotes the growth of organisms like micorrhizal fungi that plants need to take up nutrients.

What a waste to put such a valuable resource out on the curb!
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Time to get an early start on next spring’s plantings to create an even more perfect mini-ecosystem in your backyard - many items marked down, get great deals at the Return of the Native fall sale! It runs Saturday September 14, from 9 am to 5 pm. Location
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