The end of September usually means harvest season in Western New York. For me, it meant clean-up time.
After making the decision to clean out the dirt island to plant herbs next year, I decided … why wait!? I hated those green plants that looked like dead mice when the leaves fell off, so I saw no reason to wait another month for clean out. Max and I went out last Wednesday to perform the clean out.
The main problem with gardening with Mr. Max is he thinks I am out there to play with him. In his mind there is no other reason for Ann to be in the backyard other than Kick the Ball. No. Other. Reason.
I was out back for a good 3 hours (closer to 4), and at least an hour (probably more) was spent playing K-the-B with the mutt.
The new bird’s nest bush didn’t survive. Now I have a hole where that was next to two giant bushes. It looks kind of silly, so I need to figure something out next spring.
I cut down the blackberry bush canes ruthlessly. The guys doing the new roof must have whacked it a lot more than I realized – there was fruit molding on the bush, not ripening, and a ton of little canes turning brown as they were cracked. I just decided to get rid of the problem (and give Hubby a lot of light in his office). I still need to feed the blackberry bush for the winter (it uses holly food), but otherwise it is done for the year.
We have these bushes that don’t really work in the backyard. They are at the entrance to the back, and they aren’t very pretty – just a bunch of green leaves – until September when they turn a fiery red for six weeks! These will be simply gorgeous in a week or two. It almost makes up for them being so blah the prior four months!
Sometime this week or next week I need to get up front and cut back all the small bushes up there, but nothing is coming out. I am giving scraggly round bushes another year to come back.
So, how does your garden grow? Are you planting one this year? Sticking with a CSA? A flower or herb garden perhaps? What’s happening in your green-world?
Stephanie B says
We meant to have a big vegetable garden this year but it just didn’t happen
We ended up with some small pepper plants, some tomato plants that were darn near death at one point and I planted a fall crop of peas. My nearly 3 year old loves his “vegables” and we check on them all the time. The tomato came back from the dead and is huge! I thought it would just get big and that was it but a week ago I spotted dozens of tiny tomatoes! Then a few days ago when we were watering I was considering taking out the pepper plants because we had picked the last one. Then I noticed a ton of teeny little peppers strtung to grow! So I hope the frost holds off for a bit. It’ll be great to show my little one the pay off for all our hard work!
Ann says
Nice! A second round of veges. Your little one’s green thumb perhaps?
Ann
KimH says
Everything is doing good here at the house.. I noticed that my strawberry plants daughter plants have rooted down with no help from me and are thick! That makes me happy. I’ve eaten just about all of the figs.. I need to go do some cleaning out in my back yard.. its a jungle out there.. there is no lawn.. just plants & a tiny patio.
I almost bought 100 bulbs today at Costco but I put them back.. I dont REALLY need them and I dont have time to plant them right now.. Its best I just leave them be for now. 😉
Ann says
LOL to the 100 bulbs. But think at how purdy those flowers would be in the spring Kim!
Ann
KimH says
I already have hundreds of bulbs in the ground now.. I just want more.. 😛 Its a never ending thing.. more more more.. 😉
Patti says
We lost our glorious rosé garden a few years ago. I didn’t have it in me to plant roses again, so we did vegetables. I like vegetables. They’re fun to harvest & plant different varieties, but I never LOVED growing veggies. After realizing last winter I didn’t look at 1 seed catalog for veggies, but pored over rose catalogs, we went back to roses this last Spring. Ah, my true love is a rosé of any kind! The garden is prettier than ever. We spend many evenings pruning, weeding & just luxuriating in the heavenly scent. This is how I like to garden!
Max wants you to play, our cat “talks” at us in the evening ( not a happy talk, more like a lecture) until we head out to the rose garden. Then she plops down on a garden stone & purrs while we work. It’s hilarious.
Ann says
What happened to your roses, Patti? And I am very glad you replaced what you lost with what you love.
LOL your kitty knows what she wants!
Ann
KimH says
Your kitty story is funny.. I love cats.. they have such personality!
Bummer about all those roses being killed but at least you know what your true passion is now..
Patti says
We lost them the winter we got back from Seattle after hubby’s cancer treatment ( lymphoblastic leukemia). We didn’t have time to prep the roses for winter & hubby was still immuno-suppressed, so he couldn’t work the soil. And honestly, I had so much on my mind that I didn’t think about it. It was a particularly cold, but dry winter. Every single one died ~ 20 bushes. We did manage to keep our small rose garden that is close to the house.
That was actually 4 years ago next month. Wow. Hubby is doing just great!
Ann says
Glad to hear your Hubby is recovered!
Ann
Debb F says
Patti my prayers are with you at this difficult time. May God bless you and give you all the graces you need to help your husband
Patti says
O Debb F, how thoughtful! Hubby is past the very serious “stuff”. We have been very blessed. He is here. We are good. Next July will mark 5th year since transplant.
I just realized, I need to plan a party for the occasion! Maybe one in the back by the rose garden……..hmmmmm.
Debb F says
I just did 2 peppers and 2 tomatoes and it was so wet here we lost one of the tomatoes and I have too many hot peppers. I will skip them next year! I haven’t gotten many tomatoes so I only got to make salsa once. I have put up most of the peppers and may try eggplant or something different next year.