Last spring, I made it clear that by not knowing how to garden, I had thwarted my ambitions to grow indoors. The Morning readers reply My SOS with wisdom (“Ignore them”), admonition (“Water the plants according to their needs, not on your schedule”), philosophy (“Trees are smart and also have a sense of harmony”). strong combination”) and detailed prescriptions for growing success (“First, childless,” advises a committed plant parent).
Now, five months later, the living room is lush, with more hardy specimens able to withstand southern exposure. The hygrometer has eliminated the guesswork of watering. But it’s autumn, and the light is changing. As Margaret Roach writes in her This week’s gardening column, “The trees droop, and the leaves fall; the garden is letting go.”
“Again with this?” I groaned at the lynx. (“Talk to them!” Many readers advised.) The trees giggled and shook their heads. No, they don’t. They are plants! They sat there on their perfectly tested ground. They complied. “The sun won’t set later than 6 p.m. in NYC until March 12, 2023,” the New York Metro Weather Twitter account reminded me this week. I have reminded the factory. They took it better than I did.
The proof is the same every year: earlier sunsets, cooler mornings, the smell of wood smoke. Winter is coming. This fall-winter is the third time since the pandemic began. What will this season bring?
This weekend, I’m going see the foliage, whatever leaves are still there to peek. I am following the advice of my colleague Erik Vance, who has written about seasonal melancholy recently: “Somewhere in the crisp leaves, the rustling flames, and the chilly air, you can find a sense of possibility, even electricity.”
I will return to my makeshift home, optimistic that improving my gardening hygiene will help plants thrive through the dark months. There are bright spots if you look for them. For example, on Sunday, a perennial blooms late: “The White Lotus” returns for a second season.
Before you go: We turn the clocks back next weekend. How do you adjust to the end of daylight saving time? Send me your best tipsalong with your full name and location, and I’ll share some in next Saturday’s newsletter.
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WEEK IN CULTURE
CULTURAL SCHEDULE
🍿 “Barbarian” (End immediately): It’s the last weekend of October and you have to watch something vaguely Halloween-y. These are the rules, I didn’t make them. It doesn’t even have to be scary — try “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” on Apple TV+ — but it has to be season-appropriate. That being said, if you do wanted something scary, tense and raw, one of this year’s hit horror movies is showing on HBO Max. The film is about a woman who arrives at her Detroit Airbnb rental and discovers that someone has checked in (suggesting discordant piano notes).
📚 “Friends, Lovers and Horrors” (Tuesday): As Elisabeth Egan wrote in her amazing profile by “Friends” star Matthew Perry, “at 49 years old, he spent more than half of his life in treatment centers or sobriety facilities.” It’s not just a celebrity memoir. It is the story of a man struggling with a severe addiction. As Egan told me, “I was hoping the book would be funny – and it is, in many places – but for the most part it was just plain truth.”
WEEKLY RECEIVED
A pot of rice and beans
Halloween is on a Monday, which means it’s the weekend to pluck out your vampire fangs and cat ears. But before you head into that dark and potentially creepy night, you might want to grab a bite to eat. I would recommend Ali Slagle easy, easy to adapt one-pot rice and beans. You can follow the exact recipe and end up with a delicious meal, dipped in hot sauce if you like it spicy. Or check out the recipe notes for other ideas to spruce it up. Garlic, sweet pepper, ketchup, salsa, sausage, pastry, coconut milk, lime juice: Make rice and beans as simple or as sophisticated as you like. Either way, they’ll prepare you for all the festivities on your schedule, whether it’s running around parties or staying home and watching scary movies on the couch.
A selection of New York Times recipes is available to all readers. Please consider it Register to cook for full access.
REAL ESTATE
What do you get? 700,000 dollars: a Colonial Renaissance in Columbus, Ohio; an 1870 Victorian in Buffalo; or one modern house – mid century in the Golden Valley, Minn.
The hunt: He wanted a studio in Manhattan with design potential for $600,000. Which one did he choose? Play our game.
Examine the scythe
Neither a lawn mower nor a cord cutter, a scythe can be an effective way to cut overgrown grass and weeds into orderly rows – great for fall cleanup on large areas where mowers don’t show up often during the season summer. The scythe is especially good for areas that are too difficult for a lawn mower, because the grass is too thick, or because the ground is too uneven. And compared to wire clippers, the scythe is quieter and less messy. – Doug Mahoney
GAME OF THE WEEK
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros, World Series: Perhaps the best description of this match comes from the Wall Street Journal headline: “Consistency versus chaos.” On the consistent side are the Astros, who have attended the World Series four times in six years. They have been storming throughout the season, winning 106 games and going undefeated in the first two playoffs. Phillies are chaotic people. They barely made it to the knockout stages – finishing third in their own league – but won the National League Championship with a thrilling run home. The oddsmakers say the Astros have the upper hand, but the Phillies have shown they’re comfortable playing the underdog. Tonight 8 Eastern on Fox.
