Gardening in November

For those who think Next Year (the garden) has been abandoned and forgotten, she has not.  Next Year is very patient and forgiving and knows in spite of my neglectful gardening practices, I will return.  This is a wonderful time of the gardening year for making plans and evaluating.

Am still playing catch up on the leaf raking.  With the holidays, rug hooking retreat, rainy weekends and below freezing temperatures, I am behind schedule.  With an abundance of rain this growing season came an abundance of leaves.  One of the great benefits in raking leaves is an opportunity to burn off some Thanksgiving calories.  The neighborhood children who play in front of Thistle Manor love to play in the leaves.  They are eager to help rake and pile leaves and are rewarded with copious amounts of home made hot cocoa.  Yum Yum

The neighborhood children enjoy the curb garden and often stop to see which flower is blooming.  To help them feel ownership in the curb garden, we planted daffodil bulbs.  Seeing their faces in the spring when the daffodils bloom will be a welcome sight.

November is a wonderful time of the year to hit the gardening centers--great sales!  Adding a gardening bench is high on my gardening list and while Next Year is enjoying a winter nap, I will be deciding placement.  

The sound of neighborhood children raking leaves, hot cocoa, great sales, refilled bird feeders, the hope of spring blooms, gardening in November is a good thing!  

Mid Summer Progress Report--Next Year

After eight days of triple digit heat, eight days of rain and thunder showers, Next Year is looking worse for wear.  Receiving rain was a blessing and the rain is non discriminating:  it provides moisture for trees, shrubs, flowers and weeds!  Some gardening observations:

• Fall begins September 22--which means there is nine more weeks of summer.  Mother Nature what's on your agenda?
• I raked leaves today.  The dogwood tree and other trees have been so stressed from the heat and lack of moisture they had started to drop their leaves.
• The day lilies are making a come back--they are tough as nails which is one reason I love them.
• Cutting the grass after a heavy rain takes more time than a normal cutting.
• The lavender will most likely have to be replaced.

The photo above is from M's house.  They were part of the table decorations for the wedding, aren't they lovely?

More table setting flowers from the wedding.

Our rain barrel--refilled from the recent rains!