Putting the garden to sleep

It is that time of year again, as Fall begins to usher in cooler temperatures and a cacophony of color, the garden is ready for sleep.

To begin the process, the children helped me pull the giant sunflower stalks from their sturdy rooted home in the soil.

 In teams, they helped carry the large woody stocks to the dumpster.

Next, they gathered all of summers remaining bounty to be sampled, cooked and enjoyed in the days ahead.
As the children worked they shared many of their observations: from the heft of each plant to the texture of stems and leaves, from found bugs to underdeveloped plants.  Always questioning how or why or what with a stream of curiosity that inspires me.  We will continue to ready our gardens for sleep in the weeks to come.