Wow, it looks like I haven't done any gardening since late August. If only that were the case. Actually September was blissfully empty of yard work, as was most of October. But then came the leaves, the acorns and then, finally, the frost. After that, more leaves, more leaves and more leaves.
It was a very nice fall this year, with mild temperatures, both night and day. We've only had a couple of frosty nights so far and it is already December 4th. Most nights are in the mid-40's, which means very little frost damage. I ended up pulling my Sunpatients in early November because they were looking a bit leggy, not because they were really ready to go. I got impatient. It is fall, dammit. It is time for pansies. So now the bed is full of pansies and the summer plants are rotting in the compost bin.
I really didn't mind pulling out the old plants and replacing with the new seasonal offerings. Although, it is easier to do if there is rain. Sadly, this fall was pretty dry, but the soaker hose helped keep things moist. The really hellish part of fall gardening is the leaves.
Did I mention the leaves? We have MANY oak trees in our yard, along with pine, tulip poplar, sweetgum, wild cherry, maple and others. That is a WHOLE LOT of leaves. The oak trees have several varieties and they all lose their leaves at different times. We still have trees full of leaves that won't fall until Spring. How twisted is that???? Evil trees... perhaps in league with the Devil's grass. Hmmm.
So lately I've learned to use a leaf blower, a lawn mower as mulching tool, and rakes in multiple sizes for various tasks. Whatever happened to the days of making a giant pile and having your big brother deal with it? I miss those days.Our compost bin is now overrun with leaves... about 5 times the size of the bin (3 x 3 x 3) , plus the whole of the lower back yard which has about a 1 foot layer of leaves. Yikes!
So, think of me when you see leaves falling picturesquely from the sky. Know that we are seeing the same thing here. Me and my trusty rake.
