This potted begonia is in full bloom in a container on my north facing porch. |
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wordless Wednesday 10.29.2014
Speechless, actually. . .
I snapped this photo just moments ago — it's unheard of for a begonia, the most tender of plants, to be flowering at this time. So much for Mother Nature following the rules — our average first freeze is September 15th!
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Wordless Wednesday meets Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day
Here's a brief tour of my mid-October garden:
Questions? Leave a comment and I'll be happy to address them. Meanwhile, be sure to visit Carol's May Dreams Gardens for links to more participants in this month's bloom day celebration.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
Get Busy, Grasshopper!
Sedum middendorffianum |
- Plant
bulbs. My friend and Denver gardener extraordinaire, Betty Cahill, has a great post about bulbs on her blog, Garden Punch List.
- Blow
out automatic sprinkler system and insulate tap.
- Remove
hoses from faucets; drain. Store
hoses and sprinklers in a handy, protected location for late fall and winter watering.
- Winterize
water features. Drain, clean and
store or cover fountains and pots.
Remove plant debris from ponds and set up a bubbler (a submersible
pump with a short piece of pipe attached to the outlet) to keep some
surface area free of ice.
Disconnect pumps to recirculating waterfalls---especially if the
water volume is fairly low. Ice
buildup can divert water and cause problems. Moving water will also make your pond
colder, which may be an issue if you have fish.
- Empty
all containers of annual flowers or veggies (off to the compost
pile!). Remove soil – or the top
8-10” from large pots - (again, off to the compost pile!), and put
containers into storage. My
“storage” is the back corner of my covered patio. A shed or garage would also do the
trick.
- Spread
compost and/or slow release, organic fertilizer throughout planting beds.
- Remove
leaves from lawn areas. I rake my
leaves directly into my garden beds for a loose, temporary mulch. I’ll remove them in the spring for
composting. You can also run your
lawn mower over them and leave them, or rake them up for mulch or to
compost.
- Winterize
lawn mower. After the last mowing, run
it until the gas tank is empty.
Clean mower and sharpen blade.
- Wrap
young trees. I don’t need to do
this anymore, but here are the directions for “how-to”.
- Clean up/cut back perennials. I do most of this in the spring, because I like the structure and texture that many plants offer during dormancy. However, it’s nice to have some puttering around to do on those days when I really want to be in the garden!
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Right Plant, Right Place
quaking aspen, Populous tremuloides |
Leave aspen where they can thrive in cool temperatures, and moist soils.
Leave aspen where they can maintain their natural form as a large colony organism.
Leave aspen in their native habitat and let them be your siren call to explore and enjoy Colorado's great outdoors.
Clear Creek County and Park County, Colorado, September 28, 2014
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