Wrapping up autumn: Projects around our home and garden

It no longer feels like autumn, even though the calendar says otherwise, since we’ve had our first, real snowfall. In our family, we take bets as to when the first snow will occur and the winner gets to pick any book they want off of Amazon. This year, Jesse won, the stinker.

I’m glad that I snuck a few final projects in the garden before it got too cold, though. Remember how I said I was only going to pot up a few bulbs for winter forcing? Well, clearly I lack all self control when it comes to buying plants and seeds because I managed to sneak in one more order. It was the prospect of having blooming anemones that got my order started but then I couldn’t resist tossing in a few more into the cart, like those Fritillaria liliaceae ‘Michailovskyi’. Can’t wait to see those, too!

Right before the snow, we had a brief warm-up and I last minute decided to try forcing some Lily-of-the-Valley. Have you ever done this before? Apparently, it’s as simple as forcing any other spring flowering bulb so I thought, why not? I dug up a small clump from the garden, untangled, trimmed and washed the roots, potted up and placed in cold storage. The pips are funny looking, aren’t they?

That was done, but I still felt like I needed to get my hands in soil so I took a walk and carefully gathered some moss for the underlayment of our indoor plants. Moss is tricky business to keep happy indoors, especially in winter, as it tends to dry out. I am using a mister with diluted kelp emulsion and I’ll report back if I find good results with that method.

A bit of moss sure does look pretty dressing up this potted Meyer lemon tree, doesn’t it?

Autumn is such a short-lived season here in Pennsylvania. Once it gets snowy and cold it pretty much stays that way until April. It’s beautiful while it lasts, though, and having grown up in So. Cal where the seasons are not as dramatic, I really appreciate the colors and changing light. When I take walks, I always come home with something in my hands and pockets: feathers, acorns, leaves, etc. Look how gorgeous these sweet gum tree leaves are. I mean, c’mon, really. Those colors!

The corn fields behind our home are perfect places for an autumn stroll. Since Madison graduates from high school in January we thought we’d sneak in a few portrait sessions between now and then and take advantage of that subtle, golden sunlight that can only be found in November. I’m glad we got out there when we did as now it’s a field of grey and white.

Indoors, I finished up a quilt not long ago using the 30’s Playtime collection of fabrics. I’ll be honest with you, I call this quilt (my 5th? one so far) my “hot mess” quilt because I kept making mistake after mistake. I’m not crazy about it and I’m wondering if my brain was checking out while sewing because I wasn’t really excited about the fabrics? I thought it would be fun to select patterns that weren’t all pink and rosy but who am I kidding. I like what I like!

Pepper doesn’t seem to mind all the mistakes. She says this one passes the cozy test, regardless.

Stay warm, lovelies. And see you in December!