Every year I think this will be the fall I clean off my flower beds and not leave them until spring. Then I go out and discover some new blooms on the day lily.
We've had freezing temps overnight more than once, yet the flowers on the south side of the house seem unaffected. The hyssop and dianthus are still blooming away.
Oops. I swear I turned this picture. Guess I didn't. The sedum is beginning to die back but there are still some new blooms.
Of course the mums are in their element. My sister-in-law, Marge, gave me a large clump of her mums last month. I divided them and got three nice sized plants. I didn't expect them to bloom this year so I was pleasantly surprised by these lovely flowers - doubly surprised because for some reason I thought they were going to be yellow.
Even the yarrow has new blooms. Some neighbors have no problem cutting back their plants at the first sign of cold weather. I just can't make myself do that. I want to enjoy the flowers as long as I can.
Things look a little different on the north side of the house. I probably could cut the peony bush back now. Mom always said not to cut the peonies down as soon as they quit blooming; wait until fall.
I could also cut back the hostas and lily of the valley on the north side today. IF it doesn't start raining or IF I can't find another excuse not to. Just getting the flower beds on the north side cleaned off would be a good start for next year's growing season.
The portulaca and all but this lone petunia have died in the deck rail planters. The flowers in these two planters were all volunteer this year. The mild winter possibly contributed to that although I know portulaca, especially, will often reseed the following year.
I was visiting with my old friend, Ellen, a couple weeks ago at the time of our first cold weather. (Old as in long time friend - not our age!) We were both lamenting not being ready for winter. She made the remark that she still needed to clean off her garden. "But if I don't get it done," she said, "it will still be there next spring."
I agree with my friend - if I don't get the flowers cleaned off this fall, I can do it next spring.
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