Notes From Zone 4

Yeah, yeah, we’re in zone 4, I know. But why did the first snow have to come so early? We’re not ready! We don’t have enough firewood cut. I haven’t finished all my late fall chores yet! The fish aren’t ready. I’m not ready. We’ve been watching the little wooly-bear caterpillars, who have been telling us that it’s going to be a cold and snowy winter. I just didn’t realize how quickly it was going to come. At least we got the bulbs in the ground. They had absolutely no time to do much, though. Can they even get started in three days? The ground won’t be frozen yet though underneath all of the snow. Right? Right. Don’t panic. This still might melt, and we still might get some more things done before we are snow covered for the rest of the winter.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get our bulbs planted. We ordered 460 species tulips and things from Van Engelen online. We tried to plant them in beds which don’t have many bulbs in them from previous years plantings, of course. I saved all of the labels, and want to make a note to myself to get them entered in here, but I’m running late with too many things to do, and too little time.

Frank gave the lawn what will most likely be the last mowing of the year. We left the leaves and grass cuttings on the lawn, hopefully to compost away and help the soil. That lawn needs all the help it can get! We’ve had two hard freezes in a row this week, which kicked off the few remaining window box plants that were still hanging in there. This year, the fall colors feel very muted, probably because of the wind and the rain. The view across the swamp is still lovely, but it doesn’t feel as vibrant as it has in years past.

I’m healing well from the surgery, though not yet up to doing many garden chores. I find it very soothing to walk around out there, though, even if mentally I’m making lists of all the things that need to be done to put the garden to bed. The fall colors are looking lovely, but muted.

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Austin and Gavin had great fun with more tractor rides in the garden, and much feeding of the fish. We are now feeding them the low temp food which they don’t like near as much. I think the boys gave them enough for a week’s worth, however. The only things blooming out there now are yellow flowers, asters and um, that’s it. Many yellows, which go great with all the colors on the changing leaves. The burning bushes look great as well. I’m complimenting Mother Nature’s colors, that’s what I’m doing. Why try to compete? The silly Halloween mums are all in bud, but no blossoms yet. The window boxes are looking very ratty. Things that didn’t get finished before I have surgery tomorrow: I have 450 bulbs that need to get into the ground. Bringing in the window boxes. Oh well. This surgery should be pretty minor, and maybe I’ll get to it next weekend.

The Bowdens showed up this weekend, my last one before surgery, and we really enjoyed showing them all the garden. Uncle Frank’s tractor was definitely the hit of the day. Both Austin and Gavin got rides on the big tractor and the lawn tractor. I’m not sure they could have picked a better weekend for prime fall color. It’s going to rain all week though. That could have worked out better!

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get our bulbs planted. We ordered 460 species tulips and things from Van Engelen online. We tried to plant them in beds which don’t have many bulbs in them from previous years plantings, of course. I saved all of the labels, and want to make a note to myself to get them entered in here, but I’m running late with too many things to do, and too little time.

A hard freeze is expected tonight, which is a bit depressing. I have so many things still blooming and I don’t want to lose them! I know, I should be grateful that I went this long … but but my roses are so pretty, and my dahlias. We went out there in the evening

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It seems as though the garden handled our ten days away without a problem. The irrigation held out, it wasn’t overrun with weeds, nothing died. Even the window boxes are hanging in there still. As fun as California was, it sure is nice to be home.