In other words--it's autumn as usual in northeast PA.
This tends to depress me. I know a lot of gardeners say that by the time the killing frosts hit, they're tired of playing in the dirt. I'm not. When that frost hits I've finally planted and divided, moved, discarded, and deadheaded everything that needs it, gathered seeds and had a chance to sit back and contemplate the available land. It's then that I dream up at least seven projects that I'm dying to start immediately.
Lucky for me, that's also the best time to hit the garden centers. Many of them would rather sell us those plants than try to nurse them through winter. Prices drop to all time lows. It takes a real gardener, though, to exclaim with glee over huge pots of yellowed, shriveled hosta leaves and a stick with a tag in it that reads "Casablanca Lily." You just know that when you haul these to the register, glowing triumphantly, other people, more sanely buying Christmas tree ornaments and winter mulch will start to whisper and shake their heads sadly.
I ignore them. I know that those shriveled leaves are humongous hostas that have merely gone dormant. Those lily sticks turn out to be 5 huge bulbs at less than I might have paid for a single in spring. And they go right into my garden, ugly leaves and all. It's a nice, economical way to get those new projects underway before my husband notices that I have, once again, taken over some of his precious lawn.
Plus, rescuing these poor, ugly and unloved pots makes me feel virtuous. Sort of like I'm a home for wayward plants, or the botanical equivalent of the animal shelter. Someone has to love them. And I'm glad to volunteer.
As strange as it seems, fall is one of the best times for planting perennials. Sure, they're dormant. Their little green tops lie down for a snooze while underground their energy goes into growing roots. Think of it as putting them down for a nap. When they wake up they'll be refreshed, well accustomed to their surroundings, and cheerful again. And you'll have saved a bundle of money. Best of all, when you buy your plants all shriveled and dormant, you get wonderful surprises in the spring.
Go To Page: 1 2
