Fall Clean-up

Fall clean-up doesn't only happen in the field. Grandson Gavin loves any work that involves the garden hose or a spray bottle. He'll even tolerate the cripsy cool weather for the chance to splash around. I have to admit, he got that from me. I too was a water crazy kid. When it rained, I would go down to the corner, gather all the sticks, leaves and debris I could find to plug up the storm sewer so I could make a huge puddle on the street corner. I wasn't deterred by the man shouting at me 'not to do that,' or they 2 times I got big gashes in my feet, romping in the water. Who wore shoes back then in the summer? I took my shoes off when school got out for the summer and seldom put them back on till school again. This was a few years ago...when you could go anywhere with your feet bare, like stores and restaurants. You could go right in the 'Quik Stop,' no one would stop you! It was a nightly ritual to have my foot stuck under a table lamp digging out the slivers. Was I the only barefoot nut out there?

I guess the driveway needed washing too!

So what should you be doing in the garden now? Hopefully, pulling out your nightshade plants to be destroyed. Clean-up any weed piles (mouse heaven!) Do not cover plants with winter mulch yet....way too early. The exception would be to mulch freshly planted peonies and bulbs, as they have no top growth to rot, so no worry. Trim back any perennials now if you want or wait till spring. I say, do it now if you have time. Wrap your young trees to prevent rodent damage, I like the brown wrap sold at Drummers.