Garden Stories
Garden.True.North is about gardening in Zone 4,
sharing thoughts, ideas and tips for all northern gardeners.
sharing thoughts, ideas and tips for all northern gardeners.
It seems each year there are lessons that nature provides if I’m paying attention and this year was no different. I gained new knowledge in five areas this year.
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It’s the middle of October and I just checked the soil temperature. In my garden it is 45 degrees. We had our first hard freeze last night. It’s time to plant bulbs!
Many of us plant tulips and daffodils, but there is so much more that you can plant in the fall. These are generally referred to as bulbous plants. They have bulbs, tubers, rhizomes or corms that swell into a food storage organ enabling the plant to survive when it is dormant. My fall chore list has become shorter over the years as I have discovered easier methods of dealing with leaves on the lawn with frequent mowing with my mulching lawn mower. Leaves that land in the perennial beds are left there to provide protection over the winter. The only area that I clean up is the vegetable garden by removing dead material after the frost. I have been taking pictures of my gardens all season long so I can reference them in the off-season. My camera is an essential garden tool to record successes and failures, to document what needs to be done next year, and to steal ideas from other gardeners.
Activities for September
There are many ways to plan a perennial garden that delights from early spring to the last hurrah of the season. It’s mid-summer and my garden is at its peak. There are day lilies in colors of the sunsets ranging from pale yellow to the deepest purple and burgundy. The pale lavender spikes of Hosta flowers pair well with the day lilies. Black-eyed Susans are starting as the daisies are fading with Blazing Star as their foil.
I like the orderly progression through the seasons. I anticipate each new bloom as I would friends coming for a visit. Perennials don’t overstay their welcome and become tired as some annuals do before the seasons’ end. Reflecting on the progress of the garden I have come to appreciate my investment in perennials. Every few weeks something new captures my attention and makes its way into the flower bouquet gracing the kitchen island. August tasks are sparse, take time to enjoy the garden and harvest the edibles and flowers. The spring flower bulb catalogs are now coming in the mail, time to look them over and place your order for fall planting. I'll post later on when to plant those bulbs, usually in October after our first frost.
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Classes*Gardening in Small Spaces, April 30 at 5:00 pm Spooner Library, Spooner Archives
March 2024
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