Not Yet Ready to Say Goodbye to The Garden
At this time of the year there is always much talk about ‘putting the garden to bed’. And while that is certainly beneficial and good to do - as well as important in order to take good care of our plants and gardens - there are some of us who just wish to keep the garden going ‘for a little bit longer’, and who are not so willing to immediately rush it off to slumber. For me, the true summer - and that of the ‘summer’ gardening season - ends once August is complete. I try each and every year to make it last - wishing it to continue on in to September - and while September provides absolutely perfect gardening weather - it is not summer, nor ever seems to be, so my fantasy never feels true. October and November come and go easily enough, skirting the seasons depending upon the temperatures. And as I stated in my previous blog, our days are now warming, our garden zones are changing, and so the autumn is not so harsh, and it does not so quickly take over, allowing us to pretend that the winter months are far enough away to not be concerned. So I let the garden continue, just as I like, ignoring the days on the calendar.
But as I am writing this, it is now November. The past evening was the first one all season where it was too cold to sit on the front porch. The seasons are not only changing - they have officially changed - something now hard to ignore. Yes, The garden is withering. The trees are dropping their leaves in blustery windfall. The light is now harsh and so much less friendly. Of course there are certainly the sunny days that make the changing foliage shine, but even the bright reds, oranges and yellows do not compare to when the garden was at its full height in summer. The fall is a beautiful season, glowing at times for certain, but it is ultimately one of decay and decline - so as much as I wish to herald its beauty, I am always a little bit at a loss; the melancholy I feel at this time of the year always strikes me hard.
As much as I have a true understanding and realization of the changing seasons, and of their equal importance and necessity, I will admit that when it comes time to ‘put the garden to bed’, I become a bit of a protestor. I am much more apt to start a new garden project in the fall than to close things up for good. In fact, just this year I have started one such project in which I am expanding the front pathways and eliminating the lawn in its entirety. That began as a weekend project and just continued on and kept me busy; to keep busy in the garden means that the gardening season is still with us - and for that, I was more than a willing participant.
I do a good amount of seasonal planting too. So my many excursions to the garden center in the fall certainly help to put off the other gardening chores - the ones that I am trying to ignore. A few new perennials - on sale at this time of the year - are also something that I cannot pass up. And yes, that is just another excuse to keep the garden going, but why not? Even as of today, I am still busy planting and transplanting and working on various garden projects - none of which have anything to do with cleaning up the garden or ‘putting it to bed’. Oh, and I have not even gotten started with my spring bulb planting this year - but that is another story completely.
In truth, with the mild temperatures that we have been experiencing, the garden itself has continued on very well - far longer than in years past. It really does seem that each year the garden just lingers that much longer. Two weeks ago - the middle of October - my garden was looking as it usually does in early September. There were many summer flowers still blooming and reblooming. The leaves on the trees had barely begun to show more than the basic hint of color. This past week has now suddenly shown a very dramatic change and it is clear that we are now well into the end of the gardening season. But for so long, as it lingered, I was drawn to the temptation of the never-ending-summer. The garden allowed me to believe that; and willingly, I did.
Many flowers are still blooming in the fall garden
Of course, all things eventually end. The summer garden and my fantasy of its longevity is one of those things. The chilling evening temperatures assure me that summer has long since passed, and is only now a memory. The leaves falling in zig-zagging motion from the trees and blowing quickly down the street, exposing the bare limbs and branches of their hosts, tells me that time is quickly passing by and that there is nothing that I can do about it. So while I may continue with a project or two - and perhaps plant a few bulbs for some sparkle in spring - I do realize that the time has come to ‘put the garden to bed’. Yes, I have been fighting it, or at last trying desperately to put it off - and not because I do not care about my garden - just the opposite, in fact; I care so very much about my garden that to admit to its ending is painful.
No gardener is happy to see the winter set in - short of the much needed rest it will supply, both for gardener and garden. The ‘off’ months of the year are difficult for true gardeners, who are generally consumed with their gardens and depend upon them for so many more things than flowers or produce: the life of a gardener is often structured around his or her garden and that discipline is very much missed when the days grow too cold to tend, harvest or nurture the very thing that we love most. For many of us, our entire daily routine is drastically altered in the winter months when the garden is at rest. So, to have that stop or shorten, or simply change, is difficult. We all know that it is for the best, and that our gardens need their winter slumber in order to rejuvenate, but it is still a time of aprehension, or even of loss for some gardeners.
So, begrudgingly, tomorrow it starts - for me at least - the end of the gardening season. I will still be out and about in the garden for many weeks to come, as I can usually be found there most of the year, short of extreme snowfalls - perhaps in January or February. And I have many fall chores to still take care of, as there are always tasks to be done. Before you know it, the holiday wreaths and lights will be going up too. The house and garden both require ongoing attention and care. Its just that right now, as the garden grows quieter, it needs a little bit less care, a little bit less attention from me - which is not necessarily a bad thing - it’s just something that I have to get reacquainted with again…
Until next time…