Nose for News, By Sarah Stultz

After putting in many long hours at my garden this summer, I’m happy to say that the gardening season was a success.

After such a monumental loss with gardening in my backyard last summer, I was hopeful of a turnaround going back to the Brookside community gardens this year.

Though there were a few speed bumps along the way — namely the different insects I encountered — after much determination, I was able to get past those and have had an awesome last month or so reaping the benefits of my hard work.

In addition to enjoying fresh vegetables, I love a garden because it gives me the opportunity to share a hobby of my own with others when I have an abundance of vegetables. This year, my zucchini plants flourished, and I have enjoyed making and giving away several loaves of zucchini bread. Not everyone likes zucchini by itself, but almost everyone will enjoy it made into a bread.

I’ve also enjoyed sharing my produce with others and canning when possible.

There’s something rewarding about putting in all the hard work and seeing that hard work pay off with something tangible that you can see.

I tried planting a few new vegetables for the first time this year and found they were easier than I thought they’d be. One of those was spaghetti squash. I had never eaten it until a few years ago, but have started liking it more and more. Those plants have been indestructible and have produced the entire season. Even today, they continue to produce, while some of the other plants have started to die off.

I also tried popcorn for the first time this year and am eager to see if that turned out successful in the coming weeks.

I guess I’m a gardening nerd, but I find such satisfaction out of seeing these vegetables grow.

Granted the weeds have also flourished in my garden this year — and I haven’t been as good as I’d like to be at keeping them at bay — but I am glad for the opportunity to practice a hobby that requires diligence and patience and that provides physical and mental rewards.

Now that gardening season is winding down, I need to find some new hobbies as we move into the cold months of the year — or maybe I should start with the projects around the house that I’ve been putting off for the last few months.

Though I’ve successfully taken off the wallpaper in one of the bedrooms in our house and then repainted that room since we moved in, we have two or three more rooms I’d like to tackle.

I’m sure that will keep me busy for a while.

Until then, I’m going to make these last few weeks in the garden count before the cold weather comes rolling in.

If you’d like some zucchini bread, just give me a shout. After another round of baking this week, there’s going to be a lot more that will need to find a new home.

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Tuesday.