By Jill Williams
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”–Albert Camus
It turns out that I spoke a bit too soon last month about the unfortunate cluster flies.
With all the warm weather we have enjoyed this fall they showed up in spades. And we had two days of lady bug swarming; these were not as bad as in past years but it was still disconcerting to see the siding covered with ladybugs.
I think I will get my wish to have nasturtiums until Halloween and maybe beyond. Trailing nasturtiums have done well this year in the warm microclimate next to the westside of the house. It’s not a lot of trouble to cover them with row cover on frosty nights. They have had a long enough season to produce lots of seeds for next year. Nasturtiums are one of my favourite cottage garden flowers; very easy to grow and in a good season they self seed.
The glads also had a good season. I got around to digging them after their tops got frosted a few times. These are also a very easy to grow cottage garden flower. Unlike dahlias they’re forgiving about their winter storage. I put them in dry leaves in open buckets in the basement for the winter and forget about them until spring. I have never had them go moldy or dry out. They will be ready to go when spring comes.
The old Macintosh apple tree beside the house has had a productive year. As soon as its apples hit the ground the deer appear to clean them up. I quite often look out the window at dusk and see them out there enjoying themselves. I do take a few for myself but I’m happy to leave most of them for the deer.
I will be planting a mixture of Crocus tommasinianus this fall under the apple trees. I have been meaning to do this for years and this year I’m finally getting around to it.
They will join all the other naturalized bulbs in the lawn which include scillas, snowdrops and masses of early snow crocus.
I will add some more daffodils to the daffodil hillside. I marked a few spots in the spring for planting in the fall. It needs a bit of clean up in the fall so it looks good in the spring. But I have found that it’s one of the best spring shows for not a lot of effort. How many gardens can you say that about?
I still have a few plants out on the porch into November. The desert garden which consists of potted cacti and succulents needs a cold period in the fall so that they bloom inside in the late winter and early spring. I look forward every winter to the cacti blooming because it means that spring is coming.
Finally, once again I will try to grow some apple trees from seed. I read that it’s easy but I was unsuccessful doing this last winter. I’m not giving up. I will read some more and try again until I succeed. I wouldn’t be a very good gardener if I didn’t enjoy a challenge….