11/29/2023
Hello, my dear gardening friends. I'm sorry I've been away. I've been dealing with some serious health issues. Still am ... but I'm back. SO.. How are you doing closing down your garden and getting ready for next spring?
If you have not already cut back plants like zinnia and hydrangeas with hollow stems, cut some back only half-way, leaving places for small creatures to crawl in and hibernate.
Leave some piles of leaves and sticks, too. They don't have to be big or obvious - some clumps of leaves and sticks near a back fence is also a boon to small wildlife. Earlier this year, squirrels who did not find a tree with a nice big hole for them to sleep in gathered leaves and built themselves big, leafy nests for their winter naps. And naps it is. Squirrels, we know from seeing them, entertain us all winter long. All autumn, they have been gathering and hiding nuts. My area is heavy with walnut trees, and squirrels store them everywhere - including sometimes in my plant pots!! What a surprise for me in spring to discover that my Great Blue Lobelia has its very own walnut tree!! Ah! Such is nature. Surprises large and small.
Just as you have your sources for gardening information, I have some nice ones as well. I'd like to introduce you to The Rural Sprout newsletter, written by a very nice lady named Tracy Besemer. Where I am focused pretty much on gardening, she writes more about uses to which you can put your gardening treasures, recipes, etc. I think you'd enjoy her newsletter. Even if you don't subscribe, I may provide a link, from time to time, to something particularly interesting or useful from her letter. And in fact, here's one about choosing your Christmas poinsettia, and keeping it looking good all season. And here it is. https://www.ruralsprout.com/buy-poinsettia/
I know that so many of you, when you come visit me, with dreams of beautiful gardens, healthy fruits, have lots of questions to ask. What would you think of the idea of me offering a short class - maybe a half-hour class every other week, perhaps on Sunday afternoon (after church and before hubby sits down to his baseball game). Or would First thing Saturday morning work better? Or another time. I'd charge a small fee, but everyone would go home with a plant that they knew just about everything about.
I'd love to hear some feedback from you - what would you like to learn about? Growing zones? Moisture requirements? How about pesticides? They are perhaps the single biggest area where people have questions. Is this one safe? Am I treating the correct thing? Is there a more natural way to deal with my issue? Are there pesticides/herbicides that should never be used? Ask me your questions, and if I don't have an answer right away, I have lots of resources..
My next post is going to be about early spring flowers - common and not so common. When to plant, where to acquire, what they need, and so forth.
And let me know, what you are doing in your garden right now to prepare for dormancy, followed by spring's new life?
I hope to hear from you. Wishing you all happy holidays.
It's that time of year! Time to buy a poinsettia. To prevent the leaves from dropping before Christmas you'll need to bring this with you.
