Well, let's see, the carrots are dug, and stored, the bulbs that need to be lifted, have been and most of them are in the basement, the shredded leaves are tilled into the garden, the spruce trees planted a couple of years ago have been given a last good drink, the water lines are blown out, and the hoses drained and put away. The pots are cleaned and stored, the fountain/birdbath has been put away and the heated one is up and ready to be plugged in. I even got the outside windows washed. Once I get the shovels and the hoes sharpened I guess I'll have no choice but to start cleaning my house. Ugh! So no, I'm not sleeping, just scurrying about trying to get everything done before the snow flies. I'm counting on a few more mild days coming along so I can get the Christmas lights out without freezing my hands off though. What's everyone else up to?

We took a late October vacation so I have been busy raking/shredding leaves and cleaning up the flower beds this week. Also putting potted plants in the vegetable beds to overwinter, planting daffodil & tulip bulbs, bringing in tender bulbs, edging beds, making new beds for next spring's wintersowing plants, making new graphs of all the beds to mark the plants added during the year, collecting seeds, cleaning the garage, bringing pots into the garage to overwinter, washing windows, screening a few plants that the rabbits/deer "prune" during the winter, and getting trellis and other items away from the house before the workers come to reside next week.
Still take a few moments in the evening to sit and enjoy the gardens. Glad for the warm weather but looking forward to a rest once the snow comes.

Holy cow you guys are are hard working. I got the lawn raked and leaves hauled to the compost piles or woods. Cut a couple of the perennial beds back and cleaned them out. Picked all the apples that had apple maggots and hauled them away to the deer feeder. Mowed the yard and put away hoses and tools. I still have to stake a couple of white cedars so the snowmobilers don't run over them and take in the solar landscape lights.
Does anyone here bother to dig their non-stop begonia tubers to save for next season?

I've tipped the roses, composted the annuals, cleaned the containers, oraganized the garage, put away my chemicals, protected the yummy shrubs from the rabbits, and gone to school where I have learned to lay pavers, install water features and install concrete (all hands on)...I might actually be ready for winter, just wishing it would not last so darn long. So here's to the completion of fall chores, not as fun as spring, but it sure makes you feel good to have them done...looks like I am not alone in that department!

Helen.

nettiesgarden, sounds like you have been working hard also. I still bring in my non-stop begonia tubers. Cause I'm cheap and why not, as I bring in dahlia, glad, elephant ears, etc, so it's just one more bunch. I didn't realize that one has to bring in solar lights. I keep looking at them but haven't gotten any as I have a hard time adding more light to our urban areas. Would make those late night trips to the compost pile a bit easier.

Hey, peggy hosta, where do you live in SD? I was born and raised in Britton.
Glad not to be in the snow storm yesterday in Sturgis and the Hills where my DH was born & raised. We had a dusting of snow this a.m. which has already melted.

I leave a lot of my dried plants in place until spring. The birds eat the seeds and I like the look of the dried stalks against the snow. My roses are hardy so they don't need anything done to them. The leaves have been mulched as the grass was cut. In other words very little happens until spring.

I have been getting ready for an art crawl this weekend in the building where I have a gallery/studio.

I'm in Mn, near Hutchinson. I woke up to 6 inches of snow on the deck yesterday morn. It continued to snow most of the day yesterday but lots of it also melted. It turned to rain last night and that left us with only an inch or so on the ground right now. It was absolutely beautiful yesterday and the best part was the sidewalks and blacktop were warm enough that the snow melted there as it fell, so got to enjoy it on the grass and trees etc. with NO SHOVELING!

Funny you should mention...
With the shorted darker cooler days- and setting the clocks back- for a few evenings I have felt ready for bed at 8:30!!
We have been busy though- We took a short vacation during the last week of October- We drove down the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi with the dog to see the last of the fall colors- and enjoy the last remaining sunny warm days out in the woods. We hopped back and forth across the river. Stayed at a small group of cabins on the river near Alma- 'Cedar Ridge' and felt so comfortable there! Lucky for us they had an open cabin just waiting for us to stop on by.
We found quite a few lovely vistas- rambling paths- bike trails- great places to eat- local treats like cheese, apples, beer and wine to pic-nic with. We visited the National Eagle Center, which is worth the price of admission in my opinion. It was a great way to relax and enjoy a few unplanned, free fall days.
We also have been busy washin' windows- bringing in the electric mowers- draining and storing hoses- raking- clearing some of the debris from the beds, adding leaves for mulch, gathering seeds, lifting non hardy tubers, bulbs, plants and such- pulling lily stalks and hoping to see little bulblets to be gathered stored and shared- felling trees and bucking them up- I leave the splitting to Weldon!
It seems like everyday I spend doing the outdoor chores- I find there is still much more to be done before the snow really flies and temps plummet!
It has been fun making soups and baking again- seems like I can never find the time or the desire to do too much in the kitchen when I could be out enjoying the gardens!
Ah well- tis the season!

Julie

It is a good feeling to have all the fall chores done. This last weekend's weather is a good reminder that we can't delay the inevitable for our own schedules.
mnwsgal, I live on Big Stone Lake (on the SD side).Have a business in Milbank since 1990.

We were in France to visit my folks at the start of October - had a lovely time! Came home an planted the bulbs that had arrived. Now I'm just waiting for a little more coolness, then I'll mound and cover my one more tender rose - so this weekend. Still dealing with a bum knee so can't kneel down to do much extra clean-up, so spring'll be fun, though I did get all the begonias, callas, and glads dug up in time.
My husband drained and winterized the rain barrel and put up the storms. Just have to insulate a couple windows now and we're ready for it all...

-Marie