[gardeners] Fall Gardening

Teressa Kandianis (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 20 Nov 2001 18:06:09 -0800

I've been reading with interest all the msgs about putting the garden to
bed.  This is a fun time of year - hauling manure into the garden, spreading
bark mulch over thick layers of papers, clearing out the ragged perennials
and annuals.  Nothing at this point is pressed by time - I can putter around
and let my chores lead me around.  Nothing to pick except when I want to eat
it - carrots, beets and collards.  Nothing to plant - garlic is already in
and I'm laying off the bulbs for awhile.  Getting bulb catalogs addressed to
"groundskeeper" was enough to let me know I was overdoing it.  Too early to
transplant the things I plan to move.  All the tender perennials all tucked
away in their straw blankets.  I have projects waiting but I have the entire
winter to work on them.  No mowing required every weekend when I'd rather be
doing something else.  I forget the pressure that growing puts on us in the
garden and can truly enjoy getting to know my soil again.  Does anyone else
get this sort of peace from this time of year?  Teressa in rainy, but
frostless, NW Washington.