Fall Gardening Creates Less Spring Gardening...It's The Truth

It's the last thing you want to do people. The Last. Summer's over, you're depressed. The fun annual colors are dead, your veggie garden is dead. All the fruit is off the trees and leaves are falling creating a depressing  mess in your flower gardens.  But look on the bright side! All those hours you spent slaving away in the 100 degree weather are over!  Now you can slave away in the cool weather and not feel like you've sweated out every extra molecule of moisture in your body!

I do not love the hot summer days. During those days, I sadly watch my garden grow weeds and deteriorate because in the past few years, my body has grown a strict intolerance to heat above 80 degrees.  It's awful because even when it's evening, I still can't tolerate the heat so my gardens really suffer.  Now however, the weather is perfect for some serious gardening and my body loves it.

Today, I did a major cut back, clean out of my front garden. Cut down all the irisis, weeded like crazy, cleaned out all the leaves, cut back the phlox and basically got that beautiful bed ready for snow.  And, when the snow clears and the spring plants start coming up, I will just have to stand back and watch them come. There is literally no spring cleaning needing to be done out there besides my February rose pruning.

I used to save all of my Fall work for the big Spring cleanup and it was such a mess. All the dead smushed leaves, cutting back last year's perennials etc. Such a mess and a huge drag when all I really want to do is watch the bulbs come up.  I've learned in the past couple years that once most of the leaves fall, there's no reason why you can't clean them out, cut back all the perennials (mulch them a bit if you're worried they are too tender) and then sit back and wait for the snow.

Today, my little 4 year old buddy helped me plant over 100 bulbs in my garden right outside my front door. I showed her how to plant daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus.  I also put a few daffodils and tulips up in the front garden, a task I have been wanting to do since I moved here 8 years ago. Perhaps I will do a few more every year - there were some distinct holes.

I'm feeling very optimistic about Spring also. I have big plans for my garden directly under my front window. I've been letting it go these past few years and it needs a big overhaul. I have some good ideas now and have gotten a little more organized wrapping my head around what needs to be done there in the Spring.  Super excited!  Even got my 2014 vegetable garden laid out and organized last night in preparation for the Spring.  I have never been this motivated in the Fall for the next year.

BTW, today's big job outside would not have come to pass if I hadn't been so organized with my awesome app mentioned in my previous post.