Autumn bliss
October is bliss, is it not? I love seeing the leaves turn and even though I hate to cook, something about the change of seasons makes me want to bake–like this salted caramel pear tart which was delicious even though I think I went into sugar shock after one bite. The warm autumn we were having coaxed a few more blossoms from our roses like the ones seen here. ‘Munstead Wood’ has been going to town since the midge has backed off. I can’t believe how beautiful this rose is looking right now and with such healthy leaves. (More on that soon!) It’s starting to really feel like autumn now, though, with a frost warning in sight for this week. I’m ready. The garden needs a rest and so do I. It’s been a difficult summer in the rose garden and as Jesse says, “Winter wipes the slate clean.” So this week we’ll be pulling the rest of the veggie garden up, planting garlic (we’re a little late on that whoops), cleaning up debris, winterizing a few of the larger container roses, planting some of the others that are ready to graduate out, bringing out the winter birdbath, cleaning and storing the clay pots, collecting the last of the seeds, and what am I forgetting? What are you doing to prepare your garden for winter?
In other news, Jesse and I just returned from a trip to Cornell and I will have a few photos to share in the next post. Most were taken with my iPhone so you can see a preview on my Instagram (link in sidebar) if you’re curious. 🙂
I was thinking the same thing the lat few days, it Has been a difficult year and both the garden and I need a rest. I am also ready. Our first hard freeze and snow arrived this morning at our Northwestern NJ home. Here on the coast, I’m not sure whether we’ll get our first frost this week or not. Hoping the promise of rain hold true but not holding my breath! I dead going into Winter in a drought but all i can do is keeping everything well watered until the temps are consistently below freezing here on the coast and hope for the best! After the last 2 years, it’s all I can do 🙂
Agreed! Sometimes the weather has other plans for us and we just have to roll with it the best we can. I’m looking forward to a break from worrying about the roses–but I know come January I’ll be like let’s do this already! 😉
🙂 The gardening itch doesn’t get to me too much until Feb-Apr, depending on the kind of Winter we have. If it’s warmer than normal and humid, the colors of gray and mud are just depressing. If it’s cold yet without snow, I find that depressing too! I can do without ice storms. If it’s cold and snowy, I’m a happy camper 🙂 (Plus, the snow is good for the garden! My best seasons have been after snowy Winters. Gives the plants a true rest and protects them too).
That is so true! I was just saying to the Mister I hope we have another snowy winter like we did last year. I can’t stand when it’s cold but all brown and grey–the snow just makes everything beautiful. 🙂