LL, enjoy your down time! As much as I hate our summers I'm grateful that in return we get a mild winter that allows gardening to continue ... albeit at a much slower pace.

We finished our yard cleanup yesterday. Took a trailer load to the mulch yard. I am actually looking forward to a little down time. We did notice this year that it seemed easier as most creative work is done now and it is just maintenance. Told DH that the rototiller is retired! No more!

It is bittersweet for me. Some years I am SO glad when fall/winter rolls around to get a break. Then other years I feel cheated out of valuable gardening time when the weather hasn't cooperated with me.

This year is somewhere in between. I am glad for a rest from gardening and time to turn my attentions to other interests. But I kinda' wish winter wasn't quite so long. I would be just fine with a month or so of snow and wintery weather for the holidays and then melting and thawing! Then crocus ;-)

I am looking forward to spring. Moved a ton of plants around over summer and I am excited to see how the end result will look. Hopefully it turned out good and I don't end up wishing it looked the way it did before I got the itch to rearrange things, LOL!
CMK

Natal- You have kind of the reverse of our situation...sitting out a few months, due to weather :)

Mary lu- I know what you mean! The rototiller is nice, but I'm hoping I won't have to use it, next year.

CMK- I'm sure your garden is going to look wonderful, next year. This spring was so late, with June feeling like March, that it was nice to have a little longer fall. Last year, everything froze the second week of October...and I was planting bulbs (or trying to) in frozen clay! LOL

I think I'm almost done. Only because a number of years ago I decided not to cut much back in the fall, except the peonies. There are still tons of leaves to gather, chip and then mulch with and that will be ongoing for a few weeks, provided we don't get snow! I thought all the bulbs were planted last week, but then I went to a store where they were 50% off and very good quality. So, 200 bulbs later I finally finished the bulb planting today. Got a few last-minute perennials planted too and the peonies cut back. And, I kicked the mice out of my little shed and got all the garden ornaments stored for winter.

I'm with Christin where I wish we had a little more gardening weather. Nov-Apr is an awfully long time to go. I started seeds last year so that kept me busy through the winter and I also ordered from some catalogs and that was fun. This past spring was crazy-warm and we were moving shrubs in March. I am hoping March 2011 will follow suit.

Natal, do you have any camellias for your winter garden? I so wish some breeder would come up with a cold-hardy camellia! I would love to see some color in the winter. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a black and white garden photo during the winter months!

LL, I never thought of it that way, but you're right. Other than moving the sprinkler from point A to point B I'm pretty much housebound July-September.

Thyme, I have a few camellias. In fact I just planted another the other day. Sounds like they're moving a little further north with the breeding. Do you have any micro climates that might offer an opportunity?

Here is a link that might be useful: cold-hardy camellias

I still have weeding, transplanting, and lawn cutting to take care of in the ordinary way of things. And like someone else mentioned I'll be doing fall and winter sowing this year. As long as I can I'll be working on preparing the veggy beds for spring. Right now they are nothing but clay and rocks. So I'm far from done lol.

I still need to do a bunch of cutting back, as well as raking. I'm actually thankful to be able to take a break over the winter, personally. The holidays get so insane, I can't imagine doing a lot of gardening at the same time!

Well, fortunately or unfortunately, right now is an important time of year here; we are having lows in the 50's, highs in the 70's, so am planting last minute stuff to get a 6 month start on spring. I went to the Texas native plant sale in Dallas on Saturday, bought 10 native butterfly friendly plants to put in and planted them today. Couldn't believe it, that place was like Walmart on Sunday afternoon, completely packed! Believe me, I could have bought twice as many plants but decided enough is enough. No, my house didn't get cleaned, AGAIN. Working full time is just not cutting it, that's for sure!

As if that wasn't enough, last night I ordered native seeds that will be shipped this week, am quite excited about growing host plants for the butterflies. I had to laugh, the young Director of Botany at the Texas Discovery Gardens gave us a walk and lecture on Texas natives, he probably has a Masters in Botany, all the Y'alls and aint's, love it!!

I forgot to mention cleaning out the brush and hauling the branches to the mulching pile didn't I? I think I'll be busy until it's too cold to go outside.

this year that it seemed easier as most creative work is done now and it is just maintenance That sounds just where I'm at Mary Lu, very well put.

Well, I stopped mowing even tho the neighbor continues. I agree her lawn looks "neater" but she always keeps it an inch or two lower than mine anyway. No more planting unless I come across a super duper deal on a plant,bulbs, tree or shrub I can't pass up. Two more bags of leaves to mulch, and then I want to put tree guards on the new trees I planted this year, esp. in the orchard where bunnies will nibble at the trunks during snowfalls.

I need to fence in the baby arborvitae and some other young shrubs from the deer,too. This fall I don't think I'll mow off the wildflower and weed patch. I've done that for the last two years or so thinking it would help, but now I see more grass working its way in, as if it's trying to become lawn. Will see what it looks like in the Spring.

Did a final edging around the beds last week and put down some leaf mulch. Still need to cut back some daylilys that continue to be green as can be and clean up a side bed. Then I'll let everything rest until April.

This week is going to be warmer than usual in pittsburgh! So im going to finish up my bulb planting since all i did were tulips so far. I wanted to create an awesome spring display so i will pick up more bulbs today. I know in spring itll feel like i didnt plant nearly enough!
I also have to give my house a deep cleaning ll . We are updating our kitchen sink and we have a little painting to do before the holiday decor goes up. I am trying to update our home as far as furniture goes too. We still have some pieces from my college apartment a couple years ago! Time to make everything coordinate and look nice.

I'm still planting bulbs, and will be working in my greenhouse most of the winter. I am never not outside in my yard unless it's so hot that it's dangerous or cold and rainy/snowy.

I get lazy if I sit down too long. LOL

I'll be pottering on all through the winter with odd jobs. There isn't really a big final 'clean up' in my climate. Weeds will keep appearing in mild periods and the veg patch needs keeping tidy. Almost as soon as the garlic and favas are in it will be time to prune the soft fruit. A few spring flowers are showing signs of movement and although they won't get into their stride yet there are a few things to look out for. Pulmonaria rubra is showing flowers and the winter flowering shrubs like Viburnums and Loniceras are beginning.

Coming from a colder zone, it took me quite a while to realize I could still accomplish things in the garden after Oct.

So, the following chores remain:

- Finish mulching around butterfly bushes. A thick layer of newspaper doesn't really kill the grass in my yard; the grass just sends roots along underneath the newspaper to pop up right next to the plant. But at least the newspaper with mulch on top will look nicer than tall grass all through the bed for another year or 2.

- Mow the lawn one more time to get rid of the fallen leaves.

- Make an appointment with a horse-owning acquaintance to collect a couple loads of composted stable sweepings.

- And then, of course, wintersowing, which also includes doing a couple jugs with my elderly father who has AlzheimerâÂÂs but can still enjoy planting a few seeds.

Lois in PA

I was done until the weather man said it was going to be in the 60s this week! Glad I didn't put my swing away. My cat and I will bundle up and sit outside for morning coffee. :-)

I still have a lot of bulbs to plant and more cleaning to do. But the end is in sight, and I too am ready for a break.
kay

It was cold but has been quite warm for the past week, and is supposed to continue to be warmer, which is a good thing as I still have so much to finish!

I can't finish planting my bulbs until the front concrete is torn up, but I planted some in the back. I also have some hydrangea cuttings to plant in the front.

I need to get some more peat to finish my lasagna beds, once and for all.

Once the concrete is up and away, we'll be planting hedges along the front. I also am going to get some pyrocantha for the back fence, if I can find it, and plant that.

After that, I think I'm done except for little things. Then in December I start on my wintersowing!

Serenae,
I love pyracanta. It is so pretty in every season from the blooms to the beries, adn just the nice green leaves. It is a great barrier too.
kay

Lavender, I only wish, the leaves are coming down fast and furious now and everything is a big wet soggy mess, every time there's a break in the weather I head out and get done as much as I can but it looks like a lot will have to wait until spring. The thing is I have a lot of gravel paths and I'm trying to get the leaves off them before they break down and mix with the gravel. This has not been the greatest year garden wise but hey there's always next year :).

Annette

I took advantage of the nice weather today to work outside while the dog was at the groomers.

First I was only going to put wrappers around the trunks of the young trees, but pretty soon I had the chicken wire fence and chicken wire cages out and dragging them all down to the orchard. The fence is to help keep deer from munching on the line of small arborvitae, and then the cages are put around the bottoms and sometimes entire young shrubs. Rabbits nibble at those during snowfalls.

Picked the dog up and now I'm eating a juicy Jonathan Gold apple. I love Fall, despite the work that needs to be done.

This has been a very "negative" gardening year. Heat and drought were the topic of the day, after day, after day. Then there is the new issue of the deer that have moved into town.

I had my first experience with spider mites, due to lack of rain and humidity.

But, I just planted more lilies in the Outback. There is always next year.

Kay, that's great to hear another good review of pyracantha, because I found some and am going to buy and plant it tomorrow! :)

It's mainly going to be used as a screen, but I'm hoping the thorns will also deter cats. It matches all the requirements I had: thorns; berries for birds; evergreen; and multi-season appeal.

I'm added Rose Companion and Japanese Anenomes to the fall planting season. I need a clone or two or three to help with the gardening chores lol.

I should be done, but then again, I'm never done! Got my bulbs planted two weeks ago (didn't buy many). Now I'm mulching and cutting down ratty stems that won't make very nice "winter interest." And then there's always digging. I just can't stop myself. I know I should be vacuuming, but how can I when it's 62 degrees. So I'm expanding my potager raised bed. More lavender, more basil, less grass.
lucia

10 inches of heavy wet snow have put an end to my outside gardening. I finished planting daffodils yesterday and drained the hoses. Perennials were cut back or left for birds to have seeds. Potted plants are in the garage for the winter and the bird feeders have been moved closer to the house.

Have already started planning for next year, move this, plant that.

Oh my gosh, mnwsgal! I saw pics on the news. Well, now you can sit back with a nice hot cup of tea and know you did a good season's work - until next Spring. Stay warm.

Ten inches??? I hope that's not a sign of things to come.

we're still in the 70's in my neck of the woods, so now is a really good time for me to plant since we don't get a serious winter here... it'll give plants time to get settled before our extreme summer.

Today I'm putting up some rabbit fencing,... since they ate all my violas :( :( and I'll probably get some more violas while I'm at it.

after I feel settled with the plants, I'm going to manure and mulch everything and then wait for spring to reevaluate.
I've been moving some things around, too... so hopefully it will look like I imagine come next year.

Posted by thyme2dig NH 5 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 10 at 20:00
So, 200 bulbs later I finally finished the bulb planting today. Got a few last-minute perennials planted too and the peonies cut back. And, I kicked the mice out of my little shed and got all the garden ornaments stored for winter.

Thyme, how did you kick the mice out of your little shed?

Critter-proofing my yard and house has been a challenge. I did have 2 mice in my house one winter, and I used one of those humane traps to catch them....then drove them down the road a few miles.

So last week before it got cold, I put up chicken wire around the base of the house, with steel wool.

Hope it works.