October is here, and it's nearing the end of canning season.

Whether you're putting up tomatoes, salsa, or the last of the pears, this week's newsletter has something to help, plus a fun experiment for the kids and a head start on next year's garden.

It's almost time to gather all of our green tomatoes, and bring them indoors to ripen slowly over the next several months.

Our nights are getting chilly, and our fall rainy season is beginning.

I wasn't quite ready for summer to end, but our fall season brings some of the nicest weather; sunny, cool and crisp, with beautiful fall colors to enjoy.

Free printable canning jar labels

These free watercolor labels come in eight kinds: tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, pickles, green beans, peaches, pears, and jam (with a line to write in the flavor).

There are sheets for regular-mouth lids, wide-mouth lids, and small oval labels for jam jars.

I tested every size on my own Ball jars, so they fit.

Print them on full-sheet sticker paper, or on plain paper with a dab of glue stick.

Write the date on each one, and you'll always know which jars to use first. Print your free labels: free-printable-canning-jar-labels.html

For the kids: Bean in a Jar

In a few days, children can watch the roots push down and the first leaves reach up, right on the kitchen windowsill.

It's a perfect rainy-day science project, and there's a free printable bean journal so they can draw and write what they see each day.

Start the bean experiment: bean-in-a-jar-experiment.html

Turn fall leaves into garden gold

Our rebuilt Compost Bin Plans page shows four easy bins you can make in an afternoon: a wooden slat bin with boards that lift out, a wire and wood bin, a pallet bin, and a simple wire hoop bin.

Pile in your leaves and garden cleanup now, and you'll have rich compost for your spring beds.

the compost bin plans: compost-bin-plans.html

Plan next year's garden while this year is fresh

Write down what grew where this year before you forget, and next spring's planning will be easy.

Print the free worksheets: https://www.vegetable-gardening-online.com/vegetable-garden-worksheets.html

Need a layout to start from? We also have nine free garden plans, from a 4 x 4 square foot bed to a 20 x 40 family garden:

free-vegetable-garden-plans.html

Happy gardening,

Charlotte

P.S. Know someone who cans or makes jam? Forward this email to them. The labels are free to print as many times as they like. Next time I will make some freezer labels.

www.vegetable-gardening-online.com

Growing Knowledge — Growing Your Garden since 2009

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