Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Keeping busy

I checked last year's posts this time of year and saw that we had a freeze on 10/11.  

There is freeze predicted this weekend so I thought I'd get at the annuals a little sooner than last year.  

I pulled all the Cut'n'come and Zahara zins as they were really looking the worse for wear as we've had nights in the high 30s and they weren't pretty or attracting bees so out they came.

Considering the freeze will make mush of the marigolds, I pulled out all the plants in the Sargeant crabapple bed.  Good grief for DWARF French marigolds, some were over 3 feet tall!

I added them to the cut pile.

I'm worried I won't have enough chopped leaves this year.

Both of my green ash and the blue ash are dying (most around here are due to Emerald Ash borer).  My neighbors gigantic green ash is also dying.

These trees have been steadily dropping their leaves all year so there will not be a lot to collect this fall.  Aside from the expense that will be involved to eventually remove them, the loss of leaf harvest for the beds is distressing.

Meanwhile, I've been surprisingly busy in the arbor bed.  Check out the recent posts on the FLOWER PAGE.

 

4 comments:

  1. You are going to get me to digging to see when our last year's frost was. I know that things are getting colder too fast for me and I am in sort of a panic. I have brought some plants in but need to save others plus my fish in the pond. It is nice to see your waste pile. I have those and I need to get rid of mine. It does look like fall there where you live. I was going to tell you that the bees are having a feeding frenzy as if they think they are running out of time to eat.

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    1. Seems to really switch up fast, doesn't it, Larry? I've got a lot pulled, but honestly I don't want to lose all that color. This weekend will probably kill a lot so next week will be less sense of loss when I clean up. Hope you get everything done you want. Hardly any bees this year. Same with wasps & yellow jackets. Lots of moles though. Always something, no?

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  2. I checked ahead for the rest of the month and don't even see a frost predicted. That just can't be right......time will tell.

    I am sorry to hear about the trees; it is always something. So far, no Emerald Ash Borers (that I know of). Of, I forgot about the oak leaf mite that is causing so many people itching problems in Springfield. Either we are immune or don't have them out here on the farm......yet.

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    1. Looks like 3 nights this weekend with low 30s, clear skies. Bet the leaves will really start turning/falling after that. Hope Indian summer is mild. I am bereft about the stately ash trees. All I hear are chain saws this season. :-(

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