I am always rushing about this time of year to keep ahead of the weather.
This weekend I did get half the houseplants inside, cuttings taken of coleus , and another six or so things in the ground.
How is everyone else doing?
What fall chores do you have?
I picked the tomatoes and peppers. This might be the last.
It has been cloudy the last couple nights so no frost so far , but it is coming.
Gathered bunches of seeds, and fresh herbs to dry.
I am going to try to over winter some things in the garage this year, budget for next years garden looks small.
I cut back and potted the black and blue salvia and this cuphea.
Along with a few other things.
Now that it has stopped raining... I've been doing general clean up, dividing plants and getting last minutes plants into the ground.
I have one that I will be bringing in for the winter... a Penstimon that I would like to see bloom next year.
I have a coleus that I would like a cutting of... but I wont get to that this weekend, and it may be too late for it.
As for harvesting tomatoes.... it was such a bad summer for them, i really dont have any to pick.
Today will be another great day... so i'll be out there again. Not too many seeds to harvest yet though....
Terese
My Best Friend said I could have her gladiola bulbs if I wanted to come and get them..
I also have a banana tree that I put in "hibernation"... It's tucked in.. Not sure what to do with the banana tree pup..
I have a very tiny greenhouse that is becoming packed.. it also needs some work before the first cold snap and I haven't tried to keep the plants in there all winter as it's so flimsy.. Last year a "door malfunction" led to lots of frozen coleus.. I was heart broken..
Yesterday, I took cuttings of perilla, coleus, chicken gizzard plants etc.. I soaked them in soapy water and then put a drop of bleach in the water to avoid bateria.. hope that works.. I made sure that no leaves were below the water line..
So much more to do.. I have lots of brugmansias that grew so tall this year... I am going to take lots of cuttings for safe keeping , then will try to put them into hibernation.. I have very little space inside my house for plants ...
My husband was so happy with himself when he brought home a free pot of cannas a couple of years ago.. They are the plain old green leaves and red flowers.. I am not so thrilled with them, but the hummingbirds LOVE them, so I will dig dig dig..
I need to pick lots of gourds to share with friends and family.. one more picking of okra and broccoli.. can't believe the broccoli didn't bolt this year.. Wish I had more time for my flower beds and garden and trading seeds and plants..
I also bought daffodil and tulip bulbs.. need to plant them..
Had to look chicken gizzard plant up, never heard of it , but I do recognize the plant. Nice plant, do you use it like a coleus?
Yes, I would say I use it basically like I use coleus.. It is easy to keep in a rooting jar in the kitchen window over the winter.. I have had the best luck with the dark red color..
Ca Va? It's not.
divide and store rhizomes..not done
split nana, euphorbia, persicaria, daisy,elephant hosta, nope.
lol...but yeah...gather spiders (shudder) for 2nd grade science observation...done!
Give that mom a prize...ding ding ding!
Spiders are plentiful here in the fall
Chore check off list for today
Picked last of cabbage
Cleared two veggie beds tomorrow will ad compost and be ready for spring.
Cleaned gutters , suppose to get 2-4 inches tomorrow (don;t believe them, mostly wrong, but gutters needed to be done anyway)
And found some more space for a few houseplants to come inside.
Gus, It's pouring rain here in Missouri.. Which means it's on it's way to Indiana..
I'm still slowly working on outdoor plants.. I had an agave that needed transplanting .. Finally got it inside last night.. People from where I work know I love plants too., so a lady had repotted a cactus... The start she sent me is just huge, heavy and now in my dining room..
QuoiMerrie, Taking spiders to school sounds very educational.. Do you catch insects to feed them?
The second graders have a proctected state forest area nearby for collecting...they are very lucky. The teachers have also set up several habitats in the "courtyard" of the elementary school that everyone can use (turtle pond, butterfly garden, worm house, etc.)
The kids love it...big part of family open house is showing off the turtles...Look mom!
Do I feed the spiders..no...I stop at collecting in the nice plastic bug house and sending along to the teacher...I leave the bug collecting to my seven year old son and his buddies...they have a blast.
Kathy -- we just had a bit of rain too, but it has stopped... forcast is for a few days of rain.. oh yippy....
at least yesterday was nice... got a few perennials in the ground.
Quio -- sounds like an awesome school 'courtyard' -- how educational. Our grade school attempted a butterfly garden when my kids were there ... but last i saw it, it was just some taller sedum and that was it. You';d think they could find a huge variety of plants... but i think that project died about 10 - 15 yrs ago.
Put in a few hours of work before the rain hit.
dahlias put away for the winter and some pre frost cleanup in the herb bed
Now I am prepping a turkey for the oven a good day to have the oven on.
OK Everyone is making me jealous, I got behind the 8 ball in sept, I did get my mandavillas,spiderplant.palms inside. dh made a light stand for a fluoresent fixture for my tropicals.Soon as it is dry enough walnut duty AARRGG %$#% things anyhow,the sun is spose to shine this wkend but we wont be home,go figure,so keep up the great work ,and I will sit behind the 8 ball for now = + {
Tcs1366...true that. I wonder if a few years from now after this generation of teachers moves on if the gardens/turtle environs will survive. But hopefully some of the younger teachers will carry on the tradition.
Nice sunny day here...managed to get those perennials divided and spread out to other beds. Planted fern, viola. Repurposed split fountain, painted and planted with hens/chicks. And I tied up the big bushy perennial I still can't recall (chocolate bugbane?)
to do still...clear the plot by the air conditioner. Thank the DH for chopping out that overgrown whatever that was under the willow. Finish the halloween decor...hanging one plastic skull on the trellis probably isn't going to cut it. Ha. Makes me laugh when the joggers double take!
FROST tonight here
Rushing around like a mother hen trying to protect her young.
Houseplants in all but a few still to go to the garage.
I covered a few things hoping for an Indian summer.
Still need to pick flowers, I am not letting the frost have some pretty blooms, they will look nice on my table for a while.
Look what I found while rushing about.I had forgotten all about the raspberries.
Picked all the comfrey ,
covered the Chinese cabbage,
filled the potting shed , garage,and kitchen with plants.
There are still some things that need to get in the ground , but my potting table looks the cleanest it has all year.
We had a hard frost here last night, it didn't get everything though.. I missed some wandering jew.. I have had it for years, glad I realized I hadn't gotten a bit of it in..
I have my tiny greenhouse stuffed.. I don't keep it heated all winter, but nice season extender and lots easier to water everything in there, than carrying water around the house.
gardengus, Love your potting bench.. Almost neat clutter? I just have numerous plastic pots..
Do you think the roots of the wandering jew are still good, sometimes the leaves and stems will freeze but it may come back from the roots?
I have often thought of having a little greenhouse but I already have a plant addition and that would just be an enabler.
As it is I have a potting shed that is so full that my bench has to be outside.
gus, nice potting shed and table,giving me Ideas.OK maybe now I can get started on my chores sun finally showed up,got my dear sweet old aunt buried yesterday.Now its on to NUT DUTY,Hoping to get to my potting area too ,I use 2 100 yr old stone blocks for a potting table legs, they were the front steps to the old victorian home I was raised in,They stand on end and I put a peice of scrap polished marble on top.
I did find some unharmed wandering jew.. I had thought it would make a nice groundcover under some brugmansias this year.. I planted the brugs too close together.. The wandering jew didn't get enough sun either... but enough to get in for next year.
gardengus, I love your potting shed too.. you wouldn't be sorry if you got a gh...
What kind of raspberries are those and what do you do with your comfrey? I used to have comfrey before I had goats get into my yard.. No more goats..
huggergirl, got a picture of your potting stand? That sounds wonderful.
QuoiMerrie, I love the word repurposed. I will try to use that word today so I won't forget it.. and about the plastic skulls, have you seen the ones people are making out of milk jugs? pretty cute..
Sounds like a great table, and easy to clean, just hose it off.
Where do you find a piece of scrap marble? I have legs of an old iron bench that needs a top.
My DH made my table a few years ago out of scrap wood from an old privacy fence we tore down.
I like to repurpose and reuse things.
Kathy ,
goats, yep that is why I grow the comfrey . I have two little ones Lucy and Murphy . (pygmy/dwarf??)
I know people who grow comfrey for the compost pile , suppose to be high in something real good , but I have forgotten what.
I am not sure about the type of raspberries ,took them in trade last year , but I can say they are good . I was a pig and ate everyone that was ripe.
edit (spelling)
This message was edited Oct 11, 2009 2:28 PM
gus, My stepdaughter was moving ,it had been left by the previous owner who was a carpenter,I know,a great find ,I will post a picture because it is a biggg mess,that will make me work on it.
Well I have not been able to do any yard work between work and rain,took a few fall pics on sunday while the sun was out for a short time( kind of).Iam hoping this sunday I get some much needed outside time.We have a halloween party sat. got to bake cookies and cupcakes going to decorate the cc for the kids or I should let the kids do it,umm sounds like fun
SEE THAT ITS SNOW AAARRRGGG
Hey Where is everyone,ahh busy doin those chores,DH got the walnuts picked up,bought a new gadget called the nut wizard,its a wire ball on a handle that you roll over the nuts ,works like magic,we have 8 walnut trees in the front yard.Lawn is mowed,its raining again,painted the trim and wingwalls on the garage,made a fall display,cleaned up garden and flower beds,put pellets in the mole runs.I feel better now =+}
fall display
I have been doing fall cleanup of gardens ,not my own. today the leaves are coming down , but so is the rain.
Did get the barn finished, all ready for winter, and the farrier will be here today.
Dog got a bath yesterday before the rain hit.
Look what happened overnite LOL The yard was so clean that afternoon = + } at least the maple leaves are easy to clean up,not like the walnut leaves sticks and nuts
I too noticed a big leaf drop overnight. This morning when the sun came up there was a lot more light coming through the north side windows. looks like about 50% dropped here.
Very busy here in Northern CA (and sore, too, LOL). Had our first good rainfall a week ago, hope it will continue to end our 3-yr drought. Soil softened up so decided to fill some holes in the garden beds. I like to 'pack 'em tight' and some plants just don't make it, either because their more-established neighbors crowd them out or our 6-month-long dry summers make them croak. This is our prime planting season; the winter rains (assuming we get them) allow plants to get established and make it through our dry summers without too much water.
I needed three or four plants....but came home with almost 15 instead! Can you say, "plant dominoes"?!? Have been busy with the trowel and shovel putting the new lovelies in. Still have one big dead plant to take out and half-a-dozen new ones to site.
Two years ago in the fall I reworked this north-facing bed. My beautiful 'Emperor 1' Japanese maple had died, so I bought a replacement (same kind) because I really like the mix of plants in this bed just the way they are. Here's what it looked like about a month ago. The maple will go bare by next month, but the calla, iris, plectranthus, azaleas and rhodies will keep the bed looking nice all through the winter.
Rain again today , but yesterday was productive.
All the dead hosta leaves compost along with the daylily leaves. cut back non blooming roses.
and removed the leaves from the sidewalk before the rain.
Cleaned and covered another of the veggie beds.
No hard freeze yet so chores are not done.
After it gets too cold I just figure Things will wait till next year.
Got started on leaves yesterday late afternoon,Iam really tired today,and its raining ,GEEZ,Temps up though,at least its not cold too !!! it still is pretty out .
We catch the surrounding properties water run off ,then out through a ravine/ditch,only holds water when its really wet,its nice lots of wildlife,far enough from the house .
if it would stop raining, i'd probably have more work done... but i'm only getting a few hrs here and there during the entire week.
yesterday - mowed the lawn/mulched up the leaves for my compost... wore my new Atlas Thermal gloves YAY... but they do not work as well as the 730's for weeding.... but heck, my hands were warm.
We have had great weather for the past few weeks, but I am hoping for rain soon. I potted up some peonies that I don't know where I am going to put yet, cut back the leaves on the herbaceous peonies, thinned out a flag iris patch that was getting too crowded, and redid one bed totally. Have about two more weeks left on the persimmon harvest. and of course, lots of racking leaves.
I think all the rain is here...It has been a slow rain and drizzling for three days now.
Before that we had great weather for Nov. in the 60's
