In This Issue:

1. FALL CHANGES

Fall is a transitional season.  Much like spring, fall offers the excitement of change between the extremes of summer and winter.  Fall offers subtlety.  It serves as a gentle nudge in the direction of something new.  While we trade t-shirts for sweaters, the leaves change color and fall to the ground.  Summer crops come to their natural end, and folks either pack up the garden for winter, or extend the season with fall crops. 

This combination of shedding the old and beginning anew is the theme of this month's newsletter.  There are so many new beginnings on the horizon for Gardenerd.com, and yet there are some great endings to celebrate as well. 

One new beginning is that Gardenerd will be participating in the Eco-gift Festival in Los Angeles on December 12-14, 2008.  This festival includes  hundreds of environmentally friendly items to satisfy your holiday gift-giving needs.  We will be offering gift certificates for organic gardening consultations and classes, as well as some brand new items that every Gardenerd will want to have. (You may want to forward this to your significant other who may need help figuring out what to get you for the holidays - wink, nudge).

Endings in the garden usually mean an abundance of harvest.  So, in the spirit sharing that abundance, you'll find a wonderful recipe for pesto as this month's Tip of the Month.  We hope you enjoy this season and all it has to offer.

2. GARDENERD FALL GARDEN PLANNING WORKSHOP

Speaking of endings, our last class of the year is coming up next week. Back by popular demand, the Gardenerd Fall Garden Planning Workshop will take place on October 25, 2008 from 2-4 p.m.  Details and registration for this "last change to get your garden going this fall" workshop are on the website.  Click here to check it out.

3. Product of the Month: Gardenerd Long-Sleeved Shirt

With the weather turning cooler and with all the work to be done in the garden, it's time to pull out the Gardenerd Long-Sleeved Shirt.  It's available in dark and light colors.  They're oh so comfy and the long sleeves will protect you from sun exposure.  Get yours at the link below. 

Link: Gardenerd Long-Sleeved Shirt

4. Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Pesto

Here at Gardenerd.com we've been giving away basil to everyone we know, and we still have a plethora of it hanging around the kitchen. It's a nice problem to have, but there are times when we wonder what we're going to do with all of it.  If you are "suffering" from the same basil affliction, we have this great pesto recipe to offer.  It is adapted from a recipe by Rose Elliot, author of The Complete Vegetarian Cuisine and it can be made in batches and frozen for use later in the winter:

2 garlic cloves, crushed (we like to blanch them first for a milder version)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped parley (flat leaf is preferred)
1/2 cup cashew nuts (better than pine nuts any day!)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (generous) organic extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Put everything in a blender and process until smooth.  We've done 3 batches at once in the blender, then poured them into freezer storage containers in individual servings. 

Buon Appetito!  

Stay tuned for more gardening tips and tidbits from the Gardenerd.  Happy Fall Gardening!