Autumn In The Garden

Photo Courtesy of James and Darlene Maloney, Personal Photo Collection

Autumn In The Garden

I'm glad you dropped by! I have some spare time before we leave for the football game, so why don't you grab a cup of coffee--the sugar is over there, I'll get the cream out of the 'fridge. Let's go outside, and if you don't mind, I'll do a few things in the yard while we putter around out back.

You can see that many of the annuals are just plain worn-out or were killed by that frost we had about a week ago. When we get home, I'll pull them up, and will work some compost and shredded leaves into the soil. I think over the next few days I will pull some of the plants from my hanging baskets and pots, dump the soil on the compost pile, and clean them up for storage. I'm going to pot up some pansies, flowering kale, and mums around the patio to add a little color in the meantime.

Here is a new bed for daffodils and tulips. I ordered plenty of these, so I'm going to be busy until the ground freezes planting them in this bed. I also bought some perennials and will add those into that same area to hide the foliage of the flowering bulbs when they die back after next spring's flowering. Since we live in a wooded area, I have to cage the tulips and crocus or the squirrels and chipmunks will browse through them this winter. They do leave the dafs alone, so I always plant more of those than most anything else. Yes, I do add bone meal or an organic bulb booster. I also have to reset some of my other bulbs, they're getting a bit crowded. I remembered from past mistakes and marked them this spring so I would know where they were located. I will dig these up very carefully, and reset the largest bulbs at the proper depth. All of these will get a boost of fertilizer, too.

The compost pile is still active, and it is working overtime with all the old, spent flower and vegetable plants I have added. I also added a few shredded leaves to this pile. Excuse me while I turn it over some and if you don't mind handing me the hose, we'll sprinkle the layers down a little. You want to know about the chlorine? We have well water, so I do not worry about chlorine. Chlorine slows the microbial action of a working compost pile. Yes, you can also draw your water and let it sit in a pail for a day so the chlorine can dissipate before sprinkling your compost.

We overseeded part of the lawn a few weeks ago, and it is looking pretty good. We top dressed the area with some good compost and soil mix, about 1/4 inch worth, and then overseeded this. We've kept it watered, and this will be the first week that we've mown it. It is looking good, better than the areas overseeded this past spring. Fall is an ideal time to dethatch, seed, and do other lawn repair.

We have really been busy cleaning the lawn of leaves. It seems like there are two or three waves of leaf drop during the fall. Some trees drop early, others all at once, and others, gradually over time. I suppose that is good, because it does give us time to do this ongoing fall chore little by little. I really appreciate the free garden material! To me, this is recycling at its best: We nourish the soil with the leaves, we use the leaves as protection. It is as it should be, and as Nature intended.

Let's stop by and look at this rose over here. Let me reach into my pocket for the pruners. Here you go! Doesn't that rose smell heavenly! I sometimes think that the last roses of the season are the most precious ones, as they'll soon be done for another year. In a few more weeks when the foliage starts to fade, I will be removing the leaves. Nope, they won't go on the compost pile. I don't want to risk spreading disease to my plants! Often spores of mildew and black spot can survive the composting process. My plants look pretty healthy, but it pays to be a bit cautious. It will soon be time to protect the few tender Austins and the newly planted roses. I wait until they are fully dormant to do this. There are leaves and bags of fresh dirt for this purpose.

Speaking of winter protection, I will be adding protection pretty soon to a few hydrangeas. I'll be packing the plants with dead leaves for added protection. We have been lucky with stretching our zone by adding winter protection. It's a little more work, but then it expands what we can successfully grow in our zone 5b area.

The mums have been gorgeous this year! Who would have believed all those little plants and divisions would be so beautiful and big? Pinching and fertilizing have really paid off! While we are here, look at those grasses! Those plumes will stay on all season, as will the flower heads of the sedum and a few other plants. They really add interest to the winter garden!

Did you notice the new Cimmaron Ash? We planted that tree a few days ago. I know that the rain was pretty steady earlier in the week, but my rain gauge registered only about a half inch or so of actual rainfall. I guess I will need to water a bit more. Newly planted trees need about an inch a week. We will be watering until the ground freezes, for sure!

Well, just taking this little stroll around the yard makes me feel half guilty for going to the football game! But, it is good to enjoy other activities, too. Before you go back to town, I have a few daffodil bulbs I want to share with you. Let's go back to the house, and I'll bag up a few for you...

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Through The Garden Gate