What a Wonderful First Year!

We hope you are all enjoying the cooler weather and slower rhythms of the fall season. This is our favorite time of year, and it is even more exciting this year because it marks one year of our work with Oak Moon!

We are grateful for the support and connections we’ve made, as well as the clients who have utilized our services thus far. We also enjoyed some wonderful events, like the one photographed above, from our Plant & Ecological History Walk at Rising Fawn Gardens in April. Overall, this year has been very joyful but also challenging at times. One of the most important things we’ve learned is how to pivot and adjust our work based on the needs of our community and clients while also remaining true to our mission. Thank you all for seeing us through the first year and hopefully for many more to come!

We have some exciting goals for our second year, of which the main one is to add a merch shop so you all can support us outside of our services, as well as market our business to a broader network. More on this to come in 2026!

Now let’s dive into this season’s issue! We discuss a current, fascinating, and rare celestial happening, a botanical spotlight that’s synonymous with the fall for the 3 cultures we honor, our Gardening Consultations for 2026, and close with a BIG announcement! We hope you enjoy :)

Samhain

Do you remember what this time on the wheel of the year represents?

How are you celebrating Samhain this year?

3I/Atlas & 3 Comets

2025 is shaping up to be a remarkable year for skywatchers, astrologers, and scientists alike, one showcasing how our Solar System continues to interact with the wider galaxy. Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is both a scientific marvel and a symbol — a unique outsider entering a system, changing it briefly, then moving on. It reminds us how interconnected and mysterious the cosmos truly is. 3I/ATLAS is traveling on a hyperbolic path, meaning it came from another star system and will leave ours forever. Studying it offers a rare glimpse into material from outside the Solar System, like a cosmic message in a bottle. Most interestingly, this interstellar object embodies numerous abnormalities typically associated with comets, giving rise to countless questions and even conspiracy theories from observers.

 A few notable comets have also taken center stage in our solar system recently:

• A6 Lemmon: (photographed above) a new solar visitor, first-time inbound. Predictions suggest it could become a binocular object in late autumn, glowing greenish from diatomic carbon emissions.

• K1 ATLAS: a borderline escapee, bridging solar and interstellar space. With an eccentricity just above 1, it’s on the edge of a hyperbolic escape trajectory, possibly being nudged out of the Solar System after this pass.

• R2 SWAN: a volatile-driven outburst comet, showing classic solar heating dynamics. Though now fading, it’s still monitored for post-perihelion activity — especially since “SWAN” comets often flare unpredictably due to volatile-rich surfaces.

Throughout history, comets have been viewed as divine symbols of catalysts of change, sometimes bringing war or doom and also wisdom, enlightenment, and renewal. Considering the world’s current affairs… this seems quite relevant to us. Do you have insights to share about these cosmic visitors?

Learn More about 3I/ATLAS through NASA’s website: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/

Follow along with a YouTuber for a plethora of cosmological information: https://www.youtube.com/@StefanBurns & https://www.earthevolution.com/energy-analytics

Pumpkins, Cucurbita pepo

The Roots of the Jack O’ Lantern

As the days shorten and the air turns crisp, pumpkins begin to glow on porches and in gardens across the country, but this autumn ritual of carving and lighting pumpkins has far deeper roots than most realize.

The tradition began in ancient Ireland, where people carved turnips and beets into lanterns during Samhain – the Celtic harvest festival and celestial marking of the boundary between summer and winter (see last year’s newsletter to learn more). The carvings were inspired by the tale of “Stingy Jack”, a wandering spirit said to carry an ember inside a hollowed-out turnip.

When Irish families came to America, they discovered the pumpkin – native to this soil – was perfect for carving. It was larger, easier to work with, and beautifully reflected the season’s warmth. Over time, the pumpkin became the heart of the modern American holiday, Halloween, symbolizing the light that guides us through the dark half of the year.

Long before that, Indigenous peoples including the Cherokee, had been growing pumpkins for nourishment and storage for thousands of years – a reminder that this plant has always been a bridge between people and the land.

Today, growing and carving pumpkins keeps us connected to that same rhythm of nature – a celebration of harvest, creativity, and renewal. So as you light your Jack-o’-lantern this season, remember: you’re not just decorating, you’re continuing a story that’s been told through soil, seed, and flame for centuries.

Pumpkins, Cucurbita pepo

We chose pumpkin as our botanical spotlight for this edition to demonstrate how integrated food, medicine, and folklore are with each season. You don’t need to have an obscure, rare plant to celebrate its beauty or wonder. Actually, some of the most majestic and powerful plants are the most accessible and common!

As noted above, pumpkins are native to North America and are thought to have been first cultivated in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Similar to other staple crops grown by various Tribes across what is now the U.S., the pumpkin made its way north and was revered as one of the three sisters for many Original Peoples. The Cherokee grew a specific variety, the Cherokee Tan Pumpkin which is in the crookneck pumpkin family (Curcurbita moschata) and is still grown and enjoyed today. Many varieties of pumpkins are pretty easily grown in our gardening zone, with the most challenging aspect being that they need lots of room to crawl.

Nutritionally, pumpkins’ orange color indicates they have a high presence of beta carotene, which is a fat-soluble, antioxidant pigment in the carotenoid family of terpenoid compounds. Beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the body, which is an essential nutrient that supports eye and skin health as well as immune function. This fall staple also contains a high amount of Potassium, an essential mineral and electrolyte that is vital for nerve and muscle function, helps regulate fluid balance, may help to lower blood pressure, improves bone health, and decreases the risk of stroke and kidney stones. Additionally, pumpkins contain high amounts of fiber, which supports balanced blood sugar, helps to lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, and supports healthy GI function- including feeling more full/satisfied after meals, feeding beneficial gut microbes, and maintaining bowel regularity. Lastly, one of the most commonly known foods from pumpkins is roasted pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas. These seeds are packed with protein, fiber, and minerals- such as iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, folate, niacin, and selenium. They also contain poly- and mono-unsaturated fat, including omega-3s which are beneficial for cardiovascular, brain, and eye health as well as immune function and reducing inflammation.

As with all foods and herbs, be mindful of growing practices when selecting pumpkins. It’s utterly important to limit your exposure to synthetic agricultural chemicals like insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, as countless evidence-based studies prove these substances have detrimental impacts on human health, and most are banned or avoided in nearly every other country in the world!

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" -Greek physician Hippocrates

Gardening Consultations

As we look to nature to emulate our daily lives, this beautiful time of transition calls us to let go of all that’s happened this season, pull inward to our roots, and slow down for reflection. If something you wished you had done this year is to grow a garden, now is the perfect time to start planning for next year.

Whether it’s a raised garden bed or a garden directly sown in the ground, we can help you plan, build, and prepare everything you need to make the process smooth and stress-free. We custom-design each garden bed so you can have one tailored to your lifestyle, whether that means you need one lifted to hip height so you don’t have to bend over, one that’s designed to fit in an odd-shaped area, or one that’s made of materials you already have, we’re happy to work with you to ensure your needs are met. If you’d rather just have information and do the nitty-gritty work yourself, we can do that too! Our services are completely customizable, so our clients can get exactly what they’re looking for at the right price. We already have two clients lined up for next spring, so be sure to reach out soon to reserve your spot! You can also learn more through the button below.

The photo above is of a raised bed that’s made of cobb, an ancient building material composed of clay, water, sand, and straw. We took an immersive course to learn how to build with this incredible material and have been inspired to start crafting garden beds with this knowledge. The main perk for this material is that it barely, if ever, decomposes, so - unlike with wood or metal -you can enjoy the benefits indefinitely! We intend to build some at home to perfect the process first, and then we will be adding this material as an option for our clients. More on this to come in 2026!

The garlic our family member grew (discussed in previous editions) turned out to be plentiful and delicious, and some of the cloves left behind have even sprouted for next season’s harvest.

Are any of you growing crops through the late fall or winter? We’re taking a break this season to rest and tend to our big announcement…

We’re expecting a baby!

Our family is growing and we couldn’t be more excited. However, this means we will soon take a break from our work with Oak Moon for parental leave.

We intend to begin this break on November 15th and return in February. Amanda is typically the administrative guru for OMB, but she will be cocooning with the new baby for the entire break. So, Derik hopes to check emails during this time on a weekly to biweekly basis in case there are time-sensitive requests.

With this in mind, please let us know if you’re interested in a consultation for next spring so we can get you on our schedule and hit the ground running when we return to work, as winter ends.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and support while we welcome a new soul into the world!

Thank you so much for your support!

We are so grateful for you all and would love to keep the conversation going. Please send us your thoughts or feedback.

Here’s to many more years of service, spreading the healing science and spirit of plants!

Amanda & Derik <3

Guiding Growth with Nature’s Wisdom