Time to plant garlic, plus free printable birthday crowns, a fall garland, and garden lacing cards for the kids.
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From my garden in Oregon's Willamette Valley · October 31, 2026
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Hi, gardeners,
We harvested all of our green tomatoes last week, and they are ripening a few at a time on newspaper spread out in our mostly unused living room. We will be eating our own tomatoes for the next few months. Here is how to ripen green tomatoes indoors.
This week: it's time to plant garlic, plus three new free printables for birthdays, Thanksgiving, and quiet afternoons with the kids.
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Plant Garlic Now for Next Summer
Fall is garlic planting time. Plant it a few weeks before the ground freezes, and the cloves grow roots over the winter, then big heads by next July.
Set each clove 2 inches deep, pointed end up, about 6 inches apart. Cover the bed with a thick layer of straw or
fall leaves.
Buy seed garlic from a garden center or a local farm, not the grocery store. Grocery garlic may be treated so it won't sprout.
How to Grow Garlic →
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NEW FREE PRINTABLE
Birthday Crowns with the Name and Age
Make a crown for the birthday child, or one for every guest. Choose points, scallops, or a king or queen crown, then pick a paper: dinosaurs, fairies, cowboys, tractors, tulips, and more.
Add the age in a pretty circle and the child's name. My grandson tested them, and asked for cowboys.
Make a Birthday Crown →
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FOR THANKSGIVING
A Fall Harvest Garland to Print or Color
Pumpkins, a scarecrow, apples, corn stalks, and the old red tractor, all in soft watercolor. Hang it over the Thanksgiving table or across a classroom wall.
There is a color-your-own set in black and white too, so the children can color their own pieces while dinner cooks.
Print the Fall Garland →
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FOR THE KIDS
Garden Lacing Cards for Rainy Days
A sunflower, tulips, a bunny, a snowman, and more. Print, cut, punch the holes, and lace them with yarn or ribbon.
It's a calm, hands-on activity for little fingers, and a good one to tuck into a bag for a long car ride to Grandma's.
Print the Lacing Cards →
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