Autumnal Tasks
Most of the leaves are raked up and stored in a bin to rot down. Eventually with no further work, they will become good, dark, crumbly leaf mulch, which will add carbon bearing compounds to the soil, and improve its tilth.
I recently saw a neat way to deal with small amounts of leaves. Just pile them into a large black plastic bag and add a balanced fertilizer and a shovel of dirt. Close up the bag and punch holes all around to let some rain and snow in. Let stand in an out of sight place and in the spring and summer, it will be compost
Moles and voles are showing us who really owns our lawn. Tunneled humps are everywhere and we do little to assert our dominance except that we mash them down with our feet. We can take some satisfaction in the thought that at least their principal food is Japanese beetle grubs.
We have planted some lily bulbs that arrived just last week, and there is still time to plant daffodils and crocuses. The general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs three times deeper than the height of the bulb.
All the houseplants have been brought into the greenhouse. We are still harvesting tomatoes and cucumbers from plants that have survived in the greenhouse all summer. A new plant we are overwintering for my cousin is Mandevilla, a vine with bright yellow flowers. It also comes in hot pink.
I have been hesitant to plant many tulips because of the thought of those moles and even ground squirrels discovering them and having a feast. One suggestion from Kelly Heidbreder in the Toledo Blade is to surround a group of bulbs with chicken wire. The bulbs grow through the holes and the varmints can’t get to them. Some of the showiest tulips appear to diminish even if the moles don’t get them. We have good luck with the smaller, early blooming, species tulips and also white tulips keep appearing each year and have ever since we’ve lived here. .
I have planted some daffodils and crocuses in a circular area around the magnolia tree. I hope they bring cheer to passers by. After they finish blooming, Percy is impatient with the unmowed grass we have to leave until the leaves of these naturalized bulbs have turned yellow.
Another quandary faces us, relatively inexperienced flower gardeners that we are, is what to do with the brown, dead flower heads. There are some who say that leaving flower heads and foliage on the perennials until spring provides protection for the plants over winter. We would like to hear from our knowledgeable experienced gardening readers. We have always left the fuzzy wands of Russian sage because they look lovely in the snow and provide a perch for the birds. Birds are said to eat the seeds of many annuals and perennials. We have saved seed from a short growing, bright pink zinnia and a gigantic, orange Mexican sunflower that we grew in a row in the vegetable garden. They were the source of many bouquets this summer. From the vegetable garden Percy has saved seeds of black-eyed peas, edible soybeans, and small lima beans.
One chore that we almost let get ahead us was harvesting the heads of goldenrod, thistle, and other weeds. We are noticing some improvement in the number of weeds, but our neighbors will testify to the fact that our yard is not perfect in that regard.
Did we ever time the wood gathering season right! Percy’s brothers and sister came up just when a cord of wood was delivered to our place to be stacked. Five pairs of hands made quick work of that task, and we even carried our own wood from the old garage some 100 feet away to the rack next to the back door. It was good, dry seasoned hardwood, the right size and shape for our fireplace.
Like the groundhogs and possums, we’re getting ready to hibernate by the fire and read some books we’ve been setting aside. We seem to have trouble finding programs that we both like to watch on television. We rely on the library’s ample supply of movies.
All that is left are a few winterizing jobs like recaulking some windows and doors. At this time in our lives, we give thanks that we have the strength to stack wood, plant bulbs and rake leaves. We hope that exercises on the machines at the “Y will keep us strong until spring comes again, and the outdoor tasks begin again.
– Mary