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Ten Fall Garden Chores


Please note: Thank you for visiting my Cottage Garden topic and reading my columns, published here from February 1997 through spring 2003! This Cottage Garden column was written by Barbara M. Martin and is Copyrighted by Barbara M. Martin. It may not be altered or copied or published elsewhere in whole or in part without specific permission from the author. I regret I am no longer actively editing or contributing to this suite101.com topic as of mid-2003. Happy Gardening!

It's that time again. Here are the top ten garden chores that should be in your garden planner or journal, in the job jar or on the "Honey Do" list this fall. Be careful, though. You might get carried away and enjoy yourself out there!

  • The gorgeous leaves that create our beloved autumn display are about to fall and smother the heck out of your lawn unless you do something about it. This year, take advantage of the opportunity for FREE STUFF! Use your lawn mower to vacuum them up and save the mixture of leaves and grass clippings for compost. Who would be foolish enough to turn down FREE STUFF aka organic matter!

  • No place to put that FREE STUFF? No problem! You can easily make an upscale enclosure or a purely utilitarian cage for the materials. It doesn't matter how, just so long as you save all that great organic material. This is a no-brainer time to start that compost pile -- or even sheet compost, see next item.

  • This is a great time to start a new planting area or bed. Test the soil, add any amendments as indicated by the soil test, work in plenty of organic matter (use those leaves and clippings here) and let it mellow and settle over the winter. In spring, you will be all set to plant while your neighbor is still waiting for the soil to dry out enough to start tilling.

  • This is the only time of year to do cost effective bulb planting. Plant lots of bulbs. Think thousands or hundreds, not dozens. You will never have too many bulbs. Plant them in drifts, not in soldier lines. There are two reasons for this. First, it looks better when bulbs are in drifts (a drift is a big, informally contoured group.) It's also a heckuva lot easier than planting in rigid uncompromising rows that need to be measured to the inch and plotted out with string. That whole scene gives me nightmares!
    The copyright of the article Ten Fall Garden Chores in Cottage Garden is owned by Barbara M. Martin. Permission to republish Ten Fall Garden Chores in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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