Preparing for next year 2008

Check with your local extension agent.

The farmer's almanac has some of the big cities listed.

Your local nurseries "should" know the first frost date.

just catching up on this thread. I love David_Pauls earlier poem on enjoying other people's flowers...my neighbor has a lovely garden.

wow...so much to do. I hit things a day at a time. if it's not going to rain I can 'paint' my evil weeds. (I have horsetail, yellow nutsedge and a weed to be named later that can't be got rid of by pulling or vinegar or other organic means, I make an exception for these. I use a paintbrush and brush each one with a highly concentrated glyphophate. seems to be working). after a rain is a good time for major weeding and pulling out spent annuals. dry days for seed collecting or rose cleanup (removing diseased leaves both from the plants and the ground beneath). need to work more peat into the soil around the heathers. prepare the end of my cottage garden bed for the blueberries I plan to put in the spring (I've bought garden sulfur to acidify the soil and will work in some extra peat)

shouldn't see it all in writing. it's overwhelming (whew!). not that this is the entire list, as you all well know. there's dahlias to lift, bulbs to plants...on and on. the most fun is the seed trading :0) anticipation for spring...

Can't you put your killer in a spray bottle and use a box (or a few different sized boxes) without top and bottom to give protection to the plants around each one to be killed? I've used cardboard to protect other plants but a series of boxes works well.

I'm going to have to do something like that - painting or masked spraying - with the Loosestrife this Fall.

The alternate is to cover the plants you don't want sprayed. Sometimes that can be too much of a hassle. Long, doubled over sheets of strong aluminum foil can also be a type of very wide funnel so you can spray. Early spring is the best time because the new leaves seem to accept the poison faster.

Maybe I'll wait until Spring then.

Help me out folks - I am sick in bed and I am feeling very lonesome for British Columbia. My lucky daughter has just moved to Victoria - and all the beautiful gardens there . . . The shadows are already creeping over my gardens (alas - only full sun for part of the year). I really think I need to develop some gardens on the terrace , , ,

Do you know Powell River (town pop < 15,000 on the BC coast is zoned 8a? Think of the roses and stuff I could grow - alas no jobs there - and can't retire for another 20 or so years, unless I win a lottery.

Gee, if I won a lottery, I could buy some acreage, build some greenhouses and create a garden like pirl's .......

Tons of sympathy coming your way, Michaela. Feel better soon.

Thanks Candyce, gee, I hate to be a whiner. Well, I got dressed for part of the day and I deadheaded some plant - then I was exhausted and came inside where I have been watching History International Chanel and cleaning cornflower seeds. When I feel low or ill, I try to remind myself that there are BILLIONS of people who would be very happy to have my life. It helps to keep things in perspective.

Thanks for the compliment, Michaela, but today I was outside pulling ivy from before 8:30 to 7 PM. There's a price tag on everything - even a garden.

Hope you're feeling better very soon.

Doing better today, Michaela?

Rats! no . . . but DH is goinig to get some extra-strong medicine - I have to be in working form tomorrow.

What a way to waste a perfect weekend!

Don't think of it as a wasted weekend, think of it as re-charging your batteries. I hope you'll feel better soon.

What a lovely way of putting it, Candyce :-) Thanks.

Michaela:

I always try to put a positive spin on things. It helps keep the blood pressure down ~ LOL!

Good plan :-)

Michaela, did you work today? hope you're feeling better if you had to work. it's so hard to drag yourself. and you're homesick, too. it will all look better when you feel well and get ouside on a beautiful fall day.

as far as the weeds, the dang horsetail grows right up in the middle of the 'good' plants. I have a half-moon of plastic lid that I use around to separate the weed from the plant so I can even paint it. I wouldn't dare spray. pirl, they have lots of new leaves now with all the rain we've had.

It can't be much fun seeing the horsetail growing up through your good plants! How rude of it!

Michaela - sorry to hear that you've been sick. Hope you are starting to feel better. Here's a pic just for you of a peaceful garden scene from the Mytoi Japanese Garden on Martha's Vineyard. Eleanor

I am feeling better today - Tuesday. Right now the Sociology 305: Sociology of Urban Life are writing their midterm exam :-)

I'm so glad you are feeling better!!!!
That's a relief!!!!

Yep! Students are now watching a documentary on Enron - component under discussion is social inequality and power.

As in electrical power (Enron's 'business')???

Midterms on October 2?! When did your term start?
My 1st midterm is 10/15 and that seems early...

amy
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We rarely had mid-terms in engineering. What are you studying Amy?

From: arfitz, To: pirl Total Replies: 3
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arfitz
Caldwell, NJ
(Zone 6a)

October 1, 2007
11:03 AM The biggest job for next yeat will be to reestablish the deer fence, I have been using the plastic heavy duty fencing and the 7' green poles that I buy at home depot. The deer are very inventive and have gone under and crashed into the plastic netting so it needs constant repair. They also go under it and scratch a depression that they can crawl under. I will have to use some small posts to tie it down to the ground so that they cant do that. When the fence is in good repair they stay out of my yard however, so I can enjoy the plants I have collected over the years. It does still need constant maintainance though/
arfitz

"liberal studies" - the most general major available.
DH got a job as a professor (for 1 year only, 3 years ago), and now i find myself as an undergrad - something i never did at a more "appropriate" age.

Seandor - i'll be driving through your town tomorrow - on my way to Northhampton for a concert!

amy
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Congrats on being back at school, Amy. Any age is an 'appropriate' age, in my opinion.

Yes, Amy, it's great to go to school at any time. Enjoy!

Thanks, arfitz. We're already considering putting up a deer fence along the rear property line since our neighbor put up hers we're thinking they might be visiting here this year.

Some friends who ran a B & B dropped over Sunday and they, too, had a totally enclosed in mesh vegetable garden. The deer jumped right into it, demolishing the whole thing.

Good for you Amy. I went to college in my mid thirties. Tough work, but sooo rewarding. Your priorities and focus are so changed! You'll love it, and your grades will reflect that. When you expand your mind, you expand your ability to enjoy life. Enjoy!

Amy, I became a college graduate at age 40. In fact my first granddaughter attended my graduation as an infant. I think it's very likely that I learned more and enjoyed it more in my thirties. Good luck! ... jan

Arlene,
That's bad news about the deer fence/vegetable garden. How high was it? I've seen very little deer damage so far this year. Of course, there's still time.....

Amy,
Good luck with school. I agree--later is better. My father got his degree at age 50.

Loretta

Hey! I started university when I was 29 - and I saw MOST of the major fellowships, scholarships, and bursaries go to "mature" students because they were focused and disciplined.

If I set the rules, no one would start university until they were 25 and had already worked for a minimum of five years.

You are never too old for education - learning is what keeps us young :-)

Term started last week in Auguest.

Has anyone ever collected seeds from a BESV before - they are weird!! I was waiting until the seed pod dried on the vine but as soon as the covering dried out the seed pod disappeared. Well, I decided to collect some before they dried out, put them in a container to dry and placed it on top of my growing shelf. A couple of days ago I found a little back dot on the floor - I didn't think about it and threw it away. Yesterday there was another one and thought that looks like a BESV seed. I looked inside the container and sure enough the seed pod had burst open and the seed must have been propelled out of the pod. I guess that's why I couldn't find any seeds after they dried - only opened seed pods. I threw the vine out but saved the container of soil that it was in and I'm hoping that some might come up next spring cause I'm sure the container is full of seeds. Guess that would be winter sowing the lazy way!! Eleanor

what is a BESV?

??? Ok I am tired! Time for Bed? (Best Especially at Serving Vicor) Such a whimp! LOL

BESV = Black-Eyed Susan Vine!! Eleanor