a bit outside

Not much to do now, except rake up leaves that get scattered and tuck them under the rue, or dump into the large leaf pile bin. So I fiddle with a few things. A yogurt carton got emptied in the kitchen so I made another slug trap (here beside the old one- not filled yet in these pics)

Protecting my lettuces, tokyo bekana and the two tatsoi-

It doesn't deter the slugs entirely, but reduces the damage that I can ignore a few holes-

I still can't believe how long the sweet alyssum has lasted- it's nice to be close while cutting a few greens, and catch the pretty scent.

Nearby off corner of the garden, heucherella is looking nice-

I cut back my hyssop in the container planter somewhat- to tidy up the dry stem ends.

There's still plenty of bold blue flowers-

which fade pinkish-

Since it was making seed I gathered those- see next post.

and kept a bit of the dried flower heads as a little arrangement

some recent eats

I was pleased the other day to use several garden ingredients for our dinner- tokyo bekana lightly sautéed in butter (here shown just-washed)

little garden carrots treated the same

chopped leeks tossed into sliced portabellas (my leeks were few and skinny this year but we're still eating 'em)-

all served over mashed potatoes (no I didn't grow the potatoes but I wish I had!)

Last night I did just as well, making a basic meat pie adding five things I grew: leeks again, a bit of baby kale, carrots, fresh sage and dried bay leaf. Wish I had a nice image of that, but we ate it all too quickly!

And in the morning, what might be a final mug of tea, made from this sprig of chocolate mint

It's still alive out there, but probably soon will succumb to the cold. The small pot of wild mint next to it looked dried and dormant last week, but sprouted a new leaf during the warm days after (camera refused to focus on the green, instead sharp on the leaf litter ha)

flanking stone

below the outer edge of my garden bed walls, I like to see the cuban oregano or mock strawberry growing. That night of 26° killed the cuban oregano, but nice to see the mock strawberry still. On this edge it was near nothing in spring- I had stuck a few crown pieces in the ground spaced out hoping it would grow and look how well it's taken- filled in almost the entire length nicely.

leaves and dirt

I ordered some more 'garden fencing' and had it delivered- it's four feet high 14-guage wire with dark green plastic coating. Used it to contain my leaf mulch pile which looks very imposing next to the bayberry shrub. I hope the neighbors don't find it an eyesore. It feels like garden riches, to me. 

Meanwhile the beds are even emptier- 

I took out the last wilted marigold plant today, spread the final portion of compost over the beds, and then layered with leaf mulch. Lettuces are the brightest green now 

Chard to the left of them- which look very few as we ate some recently in handmade tortillas

Using the compost I'd stored in the metal bin under the deck frees it up for making more- which I'm glad of when the weather is colder, wet or snowy in winter so I don't have to walk all the way across the yard. Plus my regular bin in the rear area is full up top now after all the cleanup I did this week. I layered the bottom of the newly-emptied metal bin with dry leaves and the marigold trimmings. It always amuses me to see little weeds sprouted and emerging from the air holes in the bin sides:

I smirk at them for a few days and then pull them out.

shifted salvia

Well today I dug and moved the black and blue salvia. Doesn't look like much, just some upright bare stems mostly- 

to the left of the steps (on the right is the cut back milkweed)

Now the lilac has its spot pretty much to itself- aside from two smaller salvias behind it still

I hope I judged its mature size accurately- it's nearly overlapping the stepping stone now

Nearby in that little strip alongside the driveway, one of the blanket flower seems to have died. The others have poufballs of seedheads.

still green in the cold

A walk around the yard, pleasing to see what is still green even after we had a night so chilly. My favorite right now is the stinking hellebore- nothing seems to bother it, and its appearance is so unusual. I must get more come spring for this hillside!

My beautyberry dropped all its leaves, but the berries are still colorful

On the other side, some of the yellow salvia still has foliage and the 'autumn joy' sedums are a tad wilted with the flowers gone darker

but the nice lambs-ears still look great under shadow of gladiola leaves (which I haven't cut back yet, as they're still green too)

After the first two weeks I didn't water my new bugleweed plants any, and kind of forgot to look for them when leaf cover started to conceal. A peek today- all the ones I found look just fine.

Here's that plant I can forage come up again- purple deadnettle

Lovage has gone limp and fallen over, yet still green

And finally my black and blue salvia wilted. Funny that I'm actually glad of this. I cut back the stems this afternoon, and will dig and move it tomorrow when it's warmer out so easier to work. My hands got chilled today with all the pulling and cutting.

final cleanup

At least, it feels like one. Last night was in the twenties, some plants had their last moments. I cleared out all the stems of coleus, most of the marigolds, the remaining basil pots. Took down the untidy support for cardinal climber vine, pulled out of the garden the wilted sunberry (which got trashed, as it had first whitefly then aphids galore- but nearly everything else chopped for the compost pile) and the amaranth. Last week tithonia got cut down, and I saved a few seedheads

So the garden beds are mostly empty now except for a bit of bright green in the lettuce bed, some lingering chard

a bit to my surprise, the tokyo bekana is still growing nicely

and of course the herb bed- lavender is the prettiest.

I haven't cut back the rue yet-

and the turtlehead stand is nice to look at with its fall fade and yellow/brown colors

together- 

There's also still borage- it's pretty tough!

The nicotiana remains green both in the garden bed

and a pot. I've cut off the wilted flowers and the photos are diff colors because taken at diff times of day

Up on the deck only a few pots are still alive- the chocolate mint

ginger mint

parsley

and kale- but just barely. Soon they'll be done, too.

Hyssop is holding up pretty well- here's two views of that planter

Kinda funny how it grew all sideways leaning out