Thurs. Sept. 24, 2020: First Prep to Put the Yard to Bed

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Thursday, September 24, 2020

Second Quarter Waxing Moon in Capricorn

Celtic Tree Month of Vine

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Mars Retrograde

Pleasantly warm

We’re warming up for a few days, which is nice. Hopefully, that means I can get some work done out in the yard.

It was mowed last Saturday, probably the last mow of the season, although I’m putting down some lawn food over the next few days in the front, so it has some nutrition as it prepares for winter.

Leaves are falling, which means the raking begins again soon.

Mabon was on Tuesday, and we’re tipping back into shorter days now, until the Winter Solstice. I enjoy this portion of the year, although many don’t.

Cutting back the beds as they die off; cutting back or removing the annuals from the pots as they finish.

I’ll have to rearrange the garage soon. The section where I overwinter the large, potted plants (because it gets natural light) is what I’ve been using for quarantining boxes, bags, and other things coming into the house during the pandemic.

I’m already excited about next Thursday, because it’s the first of October, and I start decorating!

As I start putting pots, etc., away, I have to do a good scrub out, better than usual, because things will be quite different when they are used again in the spring.

The pesto’s all made, and it’s yummy. I’m keeping one pot of basil inside at a sunny window, so I can get a few more weeks’ worth of fresh basil for cooking. The rosemary, parsley, thyme, and chives will probably need to come in soon. I have to find good places for them, too, so I can use them as long as they last.

Not a good year for tomatoes this year. I will try different seeds next year. The Botanical Interests seeds, which I’ve always liked, were a disappointment. I will go back to Johnny’s for seeds next spring, and also order some from Kitchen Gardens.

How are you starting to put things to bed for the winter? Or are you in the Southern Hemisphere, where things are just starting to wake up?

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Thurs. Sept. 17, 2020: Rumors of Frost

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Thursday, September 17, 2020

New Moon in Virgo

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Mars retrograde

Celtic Tree Month of Vine

Cloudy and cool

There are rumors we might get our first frost this weekend. Some of the plants, such as the tomatoes, will have to come in at night. We still don’t have our new furnace (which was supposed to be installed by last Thanksgiving), so I’m getting in firewood for the fireplace, just in case, either today or tomorrow.

The cats have grown in fluffy coats. Tessa looks like a small black bear with all that fur. I think it will be a cold winter.

It’s very dry, so the yard hasn’t had a chance to do much. I’m behind in cutting things back (big surprise). I should do that this weekend. We’re getting one more mow this week, and then maybe one more in October, if necessary, and then we’re done for the season.

Then, it will be all about raking leaves – and raking the neighbors’ leaves that wind up here when they leaf blow. I am the only person in the neighborhood who actually bags them and takes them to the dump.

I should think about fall crops, but, honestly, I think the winter’s going to come in too hard and too fast for them.

I’m already thinking ahead to next spring, and how I have to set up tables inside so I can start enough plants inside early.

Autumn is my favorite season, in spite of the waning light, but there’s a lot of work involved. I want to make sure I get it done this year, so it’s not all a big mess in the spring.

How’s your garden doing? When do you plan to put it to bed for the season?

Thurs. Sept. 10, 2020: It’s Starting To Fade

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Thursday, September 10, 2020

Waning Moon Third Quarter in Gemini

Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, Mars Retrograde

Hot, humid, cloudy 

Not much to report in the garden. I’ve been delighted that hummingbirds and beautiful Tiger moths visit.

The tomatoes are finally ripening. They are delicious. I’m so delighted with them.

I’m pulling out the Tiger Lily stalks as they brown. The leaves are browning, too, and when all the chlorophyll is back in the bulbs, I’ll cut back the dead leaves, too. The grass hasn’t grown much and doesn’t need to be mowed.

We had a very short growing season this year.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll get chrysanthemums for the front of the house. We’ll take the geraniums in and have the mums out on the doorstep. I’m not yet sure if I’m going to bring the small trees back around and decorate them for Samhain, or wait and decorate them for Yule.

I’m already thinking ahead to what I want for next year’s garden. I think I’ll get seeds from Johnny’s and Kitchen Garden rather than Botanical Interests, because the Botanical Interest seeds were a disappointment this year, except for the pollinators.

There will be a lot of changes to next year’s garden, that’s for sure.

One of the things I want to do is print out calendar sheets and make an overall plan about when to plant what. I have my calendar with planting days for next year, which will help.

I planted things late, during lockdown, mostly because I was so overwhelmed by all things pandemic. I really do need to start a lot of the seeds inside in February, even the ones that don’t like to be transplanted. I have to figure out how to start them in their permanent pots – I mean, I know HOW – stick the seeds in the soil – but where to put them so they can sprout.

I definitely want to plant more Asian vegetables next year, and more herbs. This was a good year for cucumbers and beans and basil, but a bad year for tomatoes. Who knows what will thrive next year?

I also have to be more conscious of planting more of what we like to eat – yes, the tomatoes and cucumbers, but also zucchini and spinach and eggplant and other things. If I can figure out the room, I’d also like to try potatoes.

In the meantime, I want to put the garden to bed properly this year. Not just sort of let it all fade away, like I’ve done the past few years.

How’s your garden growing?

 

Thurs. Sept. 3, 2020: Qualities of Fog

image courtesy of Free Photos via pixabay.com

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Last Day of Full Moon in Pisces

Pluto Retrograde

Saturn Retrograde

Jupiter Retrograde

Neptune Retrograde

Uranus Retrograde

Foggy and humid

I HATE the WP block editor. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

We finally had some much-needed rain yesterday.

The morning glories are going wild. They’re so lovely. The zinnias are doing well. I’ll have to harvest some more beans and cucumbers soon.

The tomatoes are finally turning red. They’re so delicious!

I have so much basil – there are many jars of pesto in my future, which is just fine, because it’s delicious.

We’ve enjoyed the lovely weather the past few days. It’s turned humid again, ick, but hopefully it won’t be too bad over the upcoming holiday weekend.

I’m taking the cats out in the playpens. They have a good time, can enjoy being outside, and be safe. When they hear me pick up the playpen to pop it up, they come running. It’s really cute.

Will start cutting back some things that have bloomed and passed this weekend, in preparation for putting the yard to bed.

The leaves aren’t really turning yet; they’re just giving up and falling off. Fitting for 2020.

There were a couple of days when it smelled like autumn in the morning, but now it just smells wet. It’s very foggy, too.

Cape Cod fog is so different than Maine fog. When I’m up in Maine and it’s foggy, I understand why so many horror stories are written there. Cape Cod fog is more ghostly than horror-ly. It hangs differently and moves differently. It dances more than in Maine, where I could stand in the kitchen and watch the fog roll down the street, eating everything in its path.

I’m looking forward to putting up the spiderweb curtains and putting out the decorations in October.

But for now, I want to savor September.