The garden has been cleaned up, although some plant materials remain for our feathered friends to feast on over the winter.
I spent approximately 30 hours raking and applying pine needles for mulch. It has a lovely yellow color to it now, which will change to orangish/brown over time. By this time next year, that mulch will have, for the most part, broken down and become a part of the soil. The two photos above were taken in the fall of 2010, the first year we used pine straw mulch. I'm not able to get a good picture of the mulch now, as there is a little snow cover there. Trust me though - it looks good - and it's free for the raking!
Also a part of my fall gardening is cleaning my tools. I use WD40 and clean off the spades, shovels, hoes, etc.
An ongoing garden "task" would be my planning for next year. I've been inspired by other gardeners, plus I've researched and I've made decisions on new plants, moving plants, removing plants, etc. Sometimes I think I just don't have enough space! But we all must work with what we have...and try to get the best possible results.
Memories of a summer garden...
...I can't wait for next spring!
