Between working late every day and changing the clocks, my enthusiasm for the garden has dropped off the edge of a cliff. The leaves are down and the soil is still on the dry side so that’s not helping either. I guess winter is the perfect time to hibernate, but before I shut down completely here are some last pictures. Some selfsown mums are still blooming. I’m not crazy about the colors, but the timing is a welcome last call.
The milk thistle seedling still fascinates me with its cool mottled foliage, but I still have my doubts about it overwintering. So far I’ve only ever managed to grow it as an annual, not a biennial (which I think is what it prefers)
My one cyclamen hederifolium seedling which gets a pink tinge is coloring up for the winter. Now that temps are dropping into the 20’s I brought it into the garage for safekeeping even though I’m sure it’s hardy enough to overwinter in the ground (but I would miss it out there!)
One job which I did get done before free time dissapeared was the tidying up of the compost pile. Not everyone has this much room surrounded by a fancy pink marble block wall, so I’m kind of grateful for that…. but I still wish I had more leaves and such to fill it up with.
So that’s the story from here. Things are shutting down and I just don’t have any motivation, but that could change at any time. Just last week I noticed a bunch of seeds I wanted to plant this fall, and bulb clearance sales typically start on thanksgiving. It’s hard to be unmotivated when a couple hundred bulbs are shipping your way 🙂
Hope your end of season plans are going better than mine!
sorta like suburbia 
I had to chuckle, I lose motivation long before changing of the clocks. I always have access to free block, I like your idea of blocking in the compost pile. My compost is just three huge grower’s tree tubs. It looks awful, but they work great.
I would love some free block! But i bet there’s only so much you can put to good use before it starts cluttering up the space. I’m lucky in that I have enough room, I wouldn’t be able to keep 3 growers tubs presentable!
My compost pile also looks awful, but it’s out along the alley: Just chicken wire attached to metal stakes. Sorry things are dry there, I’m glad to say we’ve had lots of rain the last few weeks, so everybody should go into winter nicely hydrated.
Trust me, this is as good as it ever looks. I don’t have enough block for the back and was considering stakes and chicken wire!
That thistle foliage really is pretty. Everything is slowly but surely shutting down here too… Hope you get some bulbs in the sales! 😀
Thanks!….. I think 🙂
I always love new bulbs, but when I’m out there in the blowing snow planting, I really have to wonder what was I thinking!? So maybe I should hope for no sales?
Our compost pile is just a PILE, waaay down in a corner of the yard. Yours is stylin’.
Have fun with your bulbs…when you find the motivation.
Ha! I never thought of it as stylin’!
I still need to recover the snowshovel…. For some reason the kids ‘needed’ it out there for some mining game they were playing. I keep finding holes everywhere other than the sandbox.
Ha! I never thought of it as stylin’!
I still need to recover the snowshovel…. For some reason the kids ‘needed’ it out there for some mining game they were playing. I keep finding holes everywhere other than the sandbox.
You need chickens! They’ll fill your compost pile. 🙂
That would be perfect and I’ve thought of it, but my mother has threatened to never visit again if there are chickens running around…. And they would be kind of hard to hide.
Thanks for visiting 🙂
I’m rather unmotivated too and if you’d look out my window you’d understand. Very grey and a touch of snow, my beautiful Miscanthus are flattened. Your Hosta leaves look beautiful and the mums look nice and your cyclamen very promising. I’m sure the bulb clearance sale will get your blood pressure up again. Take care, Frank, and enjoy the well deserved hibernation. 😉
Thank Annette! I dread the dark grey days of winter. We had about two inches of snow the one morning and although it looked nice, I had absolutely no desire to go outside for a picture. I may hibernate until the excitement of Christmas takes over. Once that passes the days get longer again and I try to focus on that until spring arrives!
Have a great weekend
Things are winding down here too. I have cyclamen indoors and they bloom almost constantly with just a bit of water. I have not tried them outdoors but think it is time. Hope you enjoy your bulbs. Susie
I love the indoor cyclamen, I just don’t have anywhere good to keep them and they tend to just up and die all of a sudden. But they are still worth it!
The colors are such a welcome treat at this time of year, thank you for sharing your photos.
I’m glad you enjoyed them and thanks for visiting!