pictures

Well I didn't get any of the work done the other day- beds cleaned up, stuff moved around in the front. But I did take a few this morning- one of the mature beautyberry - so bright with color when a lot else is turning brown- this is why I want some across the front

Like my ostrich ferns here on the sideyard- mostly dry fronds now, just one or two still green.

Here's a delightful surprise. A few weeks ago I filled a low spot in the back yard with dirt from that haul, then scattered thickly grass seed mixed with compost and potting soil (it's just what I had), and a layer of shredded dry leaves and straw on top. Watered every day for two weeks, then paused when it rained two nights in a row and forgot to continue. I went out later to water again- and found it's all sprouting! Way thicker than I expected. My first thought was one of happy shock: it worked! (As if it wouldn't, planting grass seed). Though I don't know if it will be established enough before winter, I did this kind of impulsively and late in the fall.

work!

I made a list of tasks for the garden, and surprised myself by getting more than half of them done today. Plus a few other things that I just started to do while out there. Spent much of the day outside, it felt great though my muscles are very sore now!

Broke apart a straw bale and spread it over the garden beds. I had four bales and was surprised that one was plenty for all eight beds- and a good two inches thick, at that. That stuff is really compact! I already like this better than dry leaves as winter mulch- it doesn't blow off and around the yard again when it's windy. Got to figure out how to store the other bales to keep dry. If I don't have any problems with the mulch (mildew, or tons of wheat sprouts ugh) I will happily use more on the beds in spring, around the plants.

I cleaned up the smaller sideyard today. Cut back joe pye weed where the dead leaves had blackened (from aphids I think). Pulled out flopped over gladiola foliage that was going through fence into the neighbor's space. My black-and-blue salvia is so lush and thriving over there! It had spread to almost completely cover the lamb's ears (which are nearly all gone- or dormant- only one sad plant could I find) and somehow, I don't care. I trimmed the blue salvia a bit, and gave it leaf mold mulch, and pulled up vinca around it much as I could.

Moved some plants around in the front bed, under the house windows. I dug up and moved forward the two small newer azaleas, and moved to the back the one young beautyberry that's doing great, and put in the same row two more beautyberries. They had been in the back side bed flanking panicle hydrangeas, and must've got too much shade or competition, because just thin slender bits compared to the one that's been in front. So hope they will grow more here, and grace my front yard, I can just picture them draping lovely over the edging onto the lower bed (it's two tiers kinda). There's two very cut back little evergreen shrubs in between the beautyberries, maybe they will show some green when I cut the beauties back. Or maybe they will get overwhelmed, not sure how that will work out.

I pulled up and cut back more yellow salvia in front (not so fond of it anymore). Yanked out some sensitive fern- likewise loosing my admiration for that plant. It just looks dead half the year- from heat especially it suffers. I mulched the two young arborvitae- they're actually doing well! Dug up and moved a few pulmonaria, and dug up and moved (divided also, to spread it out) the calamint  that was in front right by the porch (an azalea has taken its place now). I put it along side bed 4 in the garden. Except- there was something else there growing up new sprouts already. I don't remember what else I took cuttings of and stuck in the ground here. Wild geranium?

Broke up the bottom end of last year's leaf pile- the thick mulchy stuff that's (just like my compost pile) full of tree roots. I did a rougher job of it, this just for feeding plants. Gave plenty to the black-and-blue salvia (two bucketfulls), a bucketfull spread around the new redbud out front, and half a bucket each to the young trees on the larger sideyard (redbud and japanese maple hybrid). Also fed one rhodedendron, the smaller forsythia, spicebush, all the plants I moved around in the front, the larger established beautyberry (I had to prop up trailing branches off the ground- it's going to need a good cutback later this winter!), the row of boneset, the oakleaf hydrangeas, and my three surviving ferns in the way back. There's maybe two bucket's worth left to break up and decide who gets it.

I also cut back seedhead fluff off the larger 'chocolate' joe pye plants and the boneset, and scattered in places where I would like more to grow.

Sorry no pictures. Maybe I will get some tomorrow to add in.

I have been spreading mulch

 from last year's leaf pile, turning over and shoveling out the compost pile to spread on the garden beds. Doing it in smaller stages than years before, over several days. The regular compost pile, I don't think I'd turned it in two years. Bottom foot was completely infiltrated with masses of fine tree roots. I found the easiest way to deal with these, was chopping the compost/root mass into segments, flipping them over and whacking with the shovel blade over and over to loosen up the mass and knock all the dry sediment out. Tossing the now mostly bare root masses aside, I actually filled nearly twenty buckets full of compost. It was very fine and crumbly and dry, no worms or tiny critters at all. In fact I wonder if it has any nutrient value left, or if the tree roots took it all. Regardless, I spread it on the beds over the rough soil/clay layer recently added. 

Then on the third day, upended my smaller under-the-deck bin (an old metal trash can with holes punched in the sides) which has had a lot more use (I add to this most frequently, as it's covered tightly and vermin can't get in. It gets most of the kitchen vegetable waste, whereas the larger yard bin gets plant trimmings and dry leaves). Complete opposite experience: this compost was heavy, dense, moist, full of crawling worms, had a rich odor. I portioned it out among the beds (about three heaping shovelfuls each, mixed with the drier stuff from the larger backyard bin, spread it all out. Tomorrow will cover the beds with broken-down straw as winter mulch. (A neighbor wanted to get rid of some straw bales they had used for Halloween decoration- my gain!) Then hope it will all be well-mixed and softened by nature's work come spring.

I've also been mowing over the dry leaves several days a week, since it hasn't been damp this is possible and it will help feed my poor lawn. And picking up all the acorns. I realize now that my strategy actually worked: the squirrels have quit frequenting my yard because I'm removing the main attraction. Every few days when I have enough nuts gathered, I fill my pockets or a small bag and take a walk, throw them in the woods behind the neighborhood. The deer can eat them there.