Garden Cleanup

Since the Halloween snow and a hard frost most of the garden is looking sad. I’ve been working steadily on cleanup. I think I’m doing better this year than usual. I want to make sure I don’t have a lot of cleanup to do in spring when it’s time for mulch.

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Canna tubers (above) have been dug up and stored.
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Autumn Joy blooms have been cut back. I usually leave the seed heads for the birds but the snow smashed them to the ground. Iris and hibiscus have been cut in the background.

Most of the mums are cut.

The annuals are gone.

The pile awaits delivery to the city’s compost site.

More to do before the garden is ready for fall compost but I’ve got a good start.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - September 2011

Sweet Autumn Clematis with Rudbeckia ‘Autumn Sun’


Few perennials are blooming in my garden this September 15. Mums, asters and anemone have not opened.  The annuals are carrying the day. 

As I looked around the garden for perennials in bloom, I had a thought -Carol’s Bloom Day Blog at May Dreams Garden is the perfect place to find other plants that are blooming now in other gardens and add them to my garden.

I can imagine planning a whole garden by following Bloom Day month by month. Of course, I would have to look for other bloggers in zone 6.  

Wouldn’t it be fun to create a virtual garden this winter from Bloom Day posts?

Here’s what’s blooming in my garden now.

Chrysanthemum ‘Clara Curtis’

Sedum Autumn Joy

Garden Phlox (pink pass-a-long and white ‘David’)

Hardy Hibiscus

Check host Carol’s Bloom Day posts and start your own virtual garden. 

Spring Fever

All it took was one warm day. Temperatures above 60 on Monday made me antsy to get out and work on garden cleanup. I trimmed the pussy willow and cut back the hellebores and sweet autumn clematis.

I don’t want to walk on the garden while it is soft and wet but I can reach a lot of from paths and stepping stones.

I need to cut back Autumn Joy Sedum, Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan and other perennials where I left the seed heads for the birds over the winter. Ornamental grasses need to be cut. I don’t see any new growth from the hellebores which is unusual. Hopefully they’re late and not dead. There are leaves to be cleaned out. I’m sure I’ll find much more when I get outside on the next balmy day. Believe it or not I can see some weeds popping up. They will go ASAP.

The Japonica is almost in bloom.

Snow drops are everywhere.

Heather blooms cheerfully at the top of the bank.

I can see the tops of daffodils, crocus and miniature iris.

Ah yes, spring is almost here.


(I apologize – the sidebar “About Me”, “Previous Posts” and “Archives” has moved to the bottom of this blog.)