The grand circle of gardening is an interesting thought. I have truly started to tear down the cutting garden, but also getting ready for spring with the planting of the tulips and other spring bulbs, sowing cover crop on the cleared beds, then looking ahead, because every flower farmer must look ahead. I see that this past spring’s tulip crates were being pulled into the dirty room and cool crop seeds were being started the first week of February. I will still be working in the gardens somewhat until the snow flies and stays, because everything I can get done this fall, makes spring easier.
This past week’s project was getting the dahlias taken care of. I put out the call for help and you came to my rescue. Unfortunately the weather gods were not going to cooperate so I cancelled the harvest party not wanting you all to work in the rain. I started Thursday afternoon and got them all cut down, labeled, dug and in their crates by the end of Friday. let’s just say it was an Aleve evening. But, the good news is they are all in crates, in my cave waiting to be sorted, sorta cleaned and put in the bulb room with the tulips. It is going to be a very full bulb room in another week for sure.
Now that the dahlias are out and safe, I sowed cover crop seed, fingers crossed that the birds don’t eat all the seed and the seed isn’t so old it won’t germinate. After our expected low temps Tuesday morning, the weather looks really good. So good weather for getting the remainder of the garden cut back, composted, landscape fabric up, irrigation pulled, more cover crop sown, and if the weather holds, get the paths mulched!
We did have some fun, decorating the tractor with flowers!
You might ask what is left? I mean, the flower shed is closed for the season! Well, I still have the in ground tulips to get planted, but more spring bulbs, a stack of perennials to get planted that so far I haven’t killed yet while they were waiting for their space to open up, I have more peonies to plant….finishing up making another flower bed….Then, do something with the house gardens. I am setting Thanksgiving as my deadline. Then I will rest for December and most of January, then the circle starts all over again. Yay. And fingers crossed, we will have flowers again by Mid February!
So I leave you with a front porch scene. There was no #windowframethursday last week, too busy in the garden, but I created this instead. I kinda like it. I hope it makes you smile.
So, until next week, may we all dream flowers. Allie