October in the Northstate garden is a sigh of relief. A deep cleansing breath. It’s a wonderful in between time of year - the heat has subsided, the rains are returning, but the garden is not yet done. It’s colors are deepening and mellow, the softening sun warms the days long enough still that I don’t yet feel clipped by waking to pitch dark or early nightfall. Turning the clocks back is still one month away. I am happy to be out in the garden but no longer so pressured by it. Plenty of garden chores want doing - but they lack the do or die urgency of Spring and Summer. Watering, weeding and planting are once again relaxed, and contemplative. You can see the forest for the trees again and think ahead about your bigger plan.

It is easy to see from the Gardening related Events happening in October that other gardeners also feel this reduced urgency in their own gardens. Their excess energy and enthusiasm is clearly going into the many upcoming gatherings, festivals, tours, and lectures. As a gardener, you could be attending events from one end of the Northstate to the other almost every day in October and not get to them all.

Some of these events include the following: The Paradise Garden Club is organizing an effort to plant 10,000 daffodil bulbs in areas of the ridge burned in the summer Fires. The club will have a table at the Johnny Appleseed Days celebration in Paradise this weekend October 4th and 5th. A donation of $25 will help them purchase 100 bulbs. October 4th in Redding the McConnell Arboretum and Gardens at Turtle Bay is hosting a Walk This Way! free day in the park as well as their Fall Plant sale. On October 11th, the Red Bluff Garden Club is hosting their annual luncheon - open to the public - this year entitled Fall Fantasy and featuring floral designer Nancy Colvin. The Sierra –Oro Farm Trail Weekend will also be October 11th and 12th featuring a slow food lunch at two sites. On October 18th, in Redding the McConnell Arboretum and Gardens at Turtle Bay will have an Ornamental Grasses in the Garden workshop as part of their on-going Core Gardening series. For a detailed listing of garden related events in the Northstate in October, click here. Photo Above: Daffodil illustration by Paradise Garden Club member Sally Lee. The original drawing will be raffled off at Johnny Appleseed Days.

Also in October - I am proud to announce the release of the In a Northstate Garden 2009 Wall Calendar. The calendar has a lovely art-press feel to it and is full of the advice, anecdotes and images from a range of the stunning Northstate Gardens we visited and the Northstate Gardeners we met over the past year. All proceeds from the sale of the calendar go to help support the production of In a Northstate Garden’s weekly program. The calendar can be yours as a thank you for donating to Northstate Public Radio at kfpr.org or kcho.org. The calendar will also be for sale in many fine nurseries and shops throughout the region by October 20th. For a full listing of the Wonderful Northstate establishments carrying the 2009 Calendar,click here.

The Farmers Almanac tells us that the full moon this month falls on October 14th and is called the Full Hunters Moon or the Full Dying Grass Moon – although I am hoping some of my grass will be greening up again soon. Photo above: Moon over an Orland Farm.

Until next week, enjoy October in your Northstate Garden.