The garden still has a chapter
Extension’s fall guide explains planting windows and cool-season crops. Actual frost dates vary; use the crop’s timing and local conditions.
Read the fall garden guideTHE JUNCTION ALMANAC
A little closer to the season.
Weather, the calendar and a few worthwhile ways to spend the day.
Open your weekly plannerGRETNA · NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
73°F · Sunny
Forecast valid Sep 16, 2026, 10:00 AM ET. Wind: S 5 mph.
THE LIGHT TODAY · 2026-09-16
A little more room for daylight.
U.S. Naval Observatory · Gretna coordinates- Sunrise
- 7:01 a.m.
- Sunset
- 7:23 p.m.
- Daylight
- 12h 22m
ONE GOOD QUESTION · 2026-09-16
How well do you know your corner?
A small daily discovery, with the source behind the answer.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
FallNorthern Hemisphere meteorological season- Day of the year
- 259 / 365
- Days remaining
- 106
Calendar calculations follow the selected date. Meteorological seasons use three-month blocks; astronomical seasons follow equinoxes and solstices. NOAA’s explanation · updated March 10, 2023; checked September 7, 2026.
A FEW GOOD THINGS TO MAKE TIME FOR
Fall, around here.
Ideas from the Junction desk, to fit around your own week.
A Sunday pot, a simpler week
Plan one useful cook-ahead meal and keep the food-safety instructions with the recipe.
Food & kitchen guidesWatch the season change
Choose one tree or stretch of trail to photograph each week. Your own sequence can reveal changes one visit misses.
Add a weekly walk
TODAY’S READING PICK · 2026-09-16
A lake-country day with room for Booker T. Washington’s history
Pair the shoreline and trails at Smith Mountain Lake State Park with the national monument preserving Washington’s birthplace.
Settle in for a readSeasonal garden reference: Virginia Cooperative Extension, Fall Vegetable Gardening, revised March 2026; checked September 7, 2026. These seasonal ideas are not a local frost forecast.