Velvet season at the dacha

Autumn at the dacha always brings harvesting and cleaning up crops after the growing season. The garden beds are no longer a joy to behold, as shades of beige and brown have taken over, replacing the vibrant greenery and flowers. It's depressing.

We usually do the cleaning together as a family—it's faster and more fun. My youngest son is especially enthusiastic. He's eager to get involved in anything, especially gardening tools.

We pull out the cucumber tops, even though the vines are still blooming. If we don't do this now, rot will set in with the rains. Fungal spores will remain in the soil, on neighboring plants, and on the grass. And while we can control our own plants, those next door are left unattended—a source and vector of disease.

We collect all the remaining crop residue in a wheelbarrow and then burn it on a fire. We do the same with the grass, only it needs to be dried in the sun first.

I have green onions all year round! I planted them two years ago—the bulbs for green onions—and they're still bearing fruit.

We're also tidying up the flowerbed. I'm pulling out and pulling out all the weeds and trimming the flowers. I'm trimming or removing any that have grown too big, leaving just the right amount. I'm also straightening the plastic borders.

I replanted part of the nasturtium plant. The remaining bush bloomed again, and new seedlings sprouted from the fallen seeds next to it. When has a nasturtium ever bloomed twice in one season? It's a first for me!

This year, the parsley just wouldn't grow. I sowed the seeds several times: pests would eat them, then they'd wither. So, I was left with a few unsightly bushes—a shame to remove them, and they were useless. I decided to replant them separately, and to make sure they wouldn't get lost in the grass, I gave them a whole wheel! I mixed the soil with rotted cow manure and added some sand. After three weeks, the parsley was looking enviable!

Now I've decided to transfer all my greenery to these wheeled planters. I'm not just spoiling petunias! This way, you can place them anywhere, and the soil won't spread and lose its texture.

I sprayed the remaining car paint from aerosol cans onto the wheels. They now stand out beautifully against the path and dirt. But the full beauty isn't yet fully realized; I need to plant each one with plants so they'll grow and bloom profusely. Now, for next year.

Now I need to harvest the sorrel before the snails finish it. I wash the leaves, dry them, and chop them. I put them in bags and freeze them. This makes a delicious green borscht in the winter!

No vacation time at the dacha. We've barely finished the fall cleaning and it's already time to think about seedlings. For some, such chores are a chore, but for us, they're a joy!