As autumn draws near, the delightful and cheery field daisies and delicate buttercups have given way to a whole new variety of wildflowers.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the vegetable garden’s produce is likely down to root crops, such as potatoes, carrots, beets and parsnips, along with winter squash and pumpkins trying very hard to ripen and turn the proper color before frost hits. This year, our usually prompt mid-August corn isn’t quite ready, either, so we’ll be dining on that for a few weeks.

And if any of us planted a second or third crop of snap beans, spinach or lettuce, those crops should be ready anytime now.

Early September and it’s time to get into the fall mode.

I always hope for lots and lots of bright orange pumpkins and colorful gourds to perk up the interior and exterior autumn decor. Those pumpkins make the best pie ever, too — far superior to canned pumpkin.

I also think so many of us overlook the beauty and staying power of wildflowers. Early in the season, we picked bunches of daisies, violets, buttercups and other early summer flowers.

Now, it’s time for the fall bouquets.

Many people dread seeing the goldenrod growing everywhere, but a close look at this bright, gold flower reveals dozens of tiny blossoms clinging to the plants’ branches. And goldenrod is not all the same thing.

Some goldenrod boasts flowers on a single stem, while others grow in clusters. Some are rounded clusters, others are flat-topped. In this area alone, there are more than a dozen varieties of goldenrod growing in fields and along roadsides.

The early delicate daisies have been replaced with an abundance of tiny, daisy-like flowers that are part of the wild aster family. Sometimes purplish wild asters appear, but right now, the edges of the back field are filled with an abundance of these lovely white blooms.

Queen Anne’s lace, botanically known as wild carrot, is also at its peak. If studied closely, many of these very delicate, lacy flowers have a tiny dot of blue or purple in the middle.

When the blossom turns into what looks like a bird’s nest, the blossom has gone by. I particularly like Queen Anne’s lace because of its delicacy.

My flower garden still has pansies and geraniums blossoming, but now is the time to purchase a few pots of those brilliantly colored domesticated asters. They come is all the fall colors and perk up an otherwise fading flower bed. And best of all, they can survive several mild frosts.

The annuals, including zinnias, calendulas and marigolds, are now at their peak and are perfect for picking and creating an autumn display for the center of the kitchen table.

Meanwhile, work still must be done in the vegetable garden, along with a lot more harvesting.

As each crop is harvested, the growing area should be cleared completely of grass of weeds. A fall tilling is also helpful for starting the garden next spring.

My disease-resistant tomato plants are surpassing my expectations. Every day I pick a basketful of ripening fruit and bring them inside to finish turning completely red. When I have what I estimate is enough for two batches, or 16 jars, I can them.

The parsnips won’t be ready until late fall, and perhaps not then either. Some parsnip growers like to cover the plants while still in the ground with mulch and let them winter over. They are sweeter when dug up in the spring.

The Brussels sprouts won’t be ready for another few weeks. They ward off mild frosts very well. When ready to be picked, they may be frozen after blanching for a few minutes. One of the best ways to prepare them, I have discovered, is to roast them with garlic and olive oil.

The potatoes are slowly being harvested, as are the beets and carrots, although I will leave the last two in the ground for as long as possible so they will still be fresh late into fall and early winter.

Fresh for the picking right now are the pole beans and a few summer squash. My beans have done an admirable job climbing up the early corn plants and are now dangling happily from corn tassels and corn stalks as two-thirds of the “three sisters” plantings. The pumpkins, which are the third sister in that particular patch, have been subject to feasting by the local deer. I used a spray on the small pumpkins known as Deer-Be-Gone and it seems to work. Although the container does not state that it is organic, the ingredients are all plant-based.

The magical earth continues to amaze me. So much good, healthy food right in the backyard. Those tiny seeds we either direct planted in spring or started inside during a blustery March are now producing plenty for the coming winter months.

Eileen M. Adams has been gardening for decades. She enjoys trying new varieties and preserving the results. She may be reached at petsplants@midmaine.com

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