Ten Minute Gardening

Well, here we are again: Another fall bringing us frost on the gardens and lawn each morning, leaves turning colour and perennials preparing to sleep the winter away.  Another gardening season over. Almost. There are still things to do in the garden.

This morning there is grass seed to plant, as well as a shrub or two and some bulbs. And, the twenty-five perennials I scooped up for a dollar each at one of our local greenhouses’ end of season sale (more like “stole” at that price!).

When I look at all the plants and bulbs that are awaiting a permanent home, I wonder if I am obsessed with gardening or maybe just plain crazy? There is no room for these plants in our gardens! We’re supposed to be down-sizing, not increasing!! What have I done?  Then I look at the plants and think “Gosh, I’ve always wanted this plant, and now I have it!” Or, images of how the ferns I purchased will look in the shade garden come to mind and the spending spree is instantly justified. Picturing the bulbs blooming next spring amongst the bare stemmed shrubs and emerging perennials excites my passion for gardening anew.

Many of the perennials I purchased have silver foliage, and since a silver garden has always been on my wish list, I now see one appearing in the not too distant future.  We’ll spring that on Trevor next year.

Some shifting and removing plants is also on today’s agenda. A few years ago, I started a wild rose from seed. This unnamed rose has sweet scented, single pink flowers in June, beautiful red hips in the fall, and glossy, dark green leaves; A very lovely looking rambler. However, it has become one of those garden thugs you read about. Spreading throughout the rose garden by sending out undergrounds runners, this rose is threatening to smother every other rose in the bed! It is coming out today and being planted beside the fence along the back of our property where it can ramble to its heart’s content.

There are a few perennials that have been struggling because they aren’t receiving enough sunlight anymore because the tree canopies are spreading. Today they will be moved to new homes in sunnier locations.

I suppose that while I’m in the gardens, I should do some weeding. Guess I should edge the gardens too. And cut the grass.

Yes, it may be fall, but the gardening season is far from over.