Those who want a jump-start on growing a plethora of fall and winter vegetables, herbs, leafy greens and even a wide assortment or ornamental plants will want to take note of the Master Gardener Fall Garden Market coming Oct. 4 to Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose.
The advantages of cool-season gardening are many: less watering, fewer pests and weeds, and being able to show off and enjoy homegrown food at holiday feasts. What’s more, some veggies — especially broccoli, cabbage and kale — taste sweeter after a frost.
Cool-season growing also supplies nourishment and a habitat for beneficial insects. Bees and wasps are especially drawn to the pollen and nectar from flowering vegetables.
Cool-season lettuces, arugula, escarole, cress, mâche, kohlrabi, radicchio and spinach supply practically everything needed for winter salads. And have you ever tried bright purple or vivid orange cauliflower? Both are great options for enticing kids to grow their own produce, which they actually will enjoy eating!
This year’s market, which benefits the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners, will offer variety packs of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce, which grow even in even small-space or container gardens. Other selections include several varieties of beets, chard, kale and peas to choose from, as well as such winter flowers as agrostemma, larkspur, snapdragons and sweet peas.
Before planting a cool-season crop, be sure to notice where direct sun hits your soil. Most plants will need at least six hours of sunlight daily, though some greens (lettuce, spinach) do OK with less. Remember to provide supplemental water, especially right after planting, and later perhaps, if we don’t get the rains we’re all hoping for this fall and winter.
The Fall Garden Market is being held in conjunction with the 21st annual Harvest Fair & Exposition at Emma Prusch Farm Park. This event is a family “country fair” type celebration right near downtown San Jose. It features a large pumpkin patch, 4-H exhibits, all-day entertainment (including performances by bands), food vendors and tours of the park, farmhouse, barn, orchards and Emma’s Heirloom German Kitchen Garden.
Rebecca Jepsen is a Santa Clara County Master Gardener.
Master Gardener Fall Garden Market
When: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Oct. 4
Where: Emma Prusch Farm Park, 647 S. King Road, San Jose
Admission/parking: Free
Also: Harvest Fair & Exposition at Emma Prusch Farm Park (address above), 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Oct. 4, free admission and parking
Being an avid gardener, born and raised in Indiana, I feel incredible blessed to live in sunny California & be able to grow my own food all year-round! I write a monthly garden column for the San Jose Mercury News & am constantly striving for tips & ideas on how to live a little more gently in regards to ourselves, our planet & each other – basically sustainability we can live with! As a 
