It’s the end of the garden year. Last Thursday, I screamed through the dusty snow, clearing the last part of the garden and preparing it for winter.
I try to do most of my cleaning in the fall because spring is busy enough with planting preparations to get everything else done.
First of all, you need to open and close the blackberry and marjoram shoots. The blackberry is not difficult to process because it does not have thorns. Even if I wear gloves, I always remove the tips of my fingers. I collect all the sticks in a circle and connect them with a thread.
It was easy to cut old mulberry sticks and attach new ones. I leave the sticks long, bend them and tie them with a thread. Most books tell you to cut them back to 6 feet, but why waste the berries they produce? Over time, the raspberry plants spread throughout the garden and I had to be selective about where to leave them. I haven't had as much luck in my raised bed. Some chain link fences keep out those smart enough to cross the road.
I also had to go rodent hunting while the ground was still soft. One enterprising gopher ventured to put a pile near the fence near the blackberry. I can't stand him chewing blackberry roots like he did a few years ago. Blackberry plants are expensive. It filled the hole I dug, but I didn't see any other hills, so we'll see.
When I was traveling, the wind would blow through the yard full of pine needles and of course I had to collect them before the snow buried them (remember last year?).
My trusty lawn mower didn't last long and finely chopped needles covered the tops of my newly raised flower beds. This means I won't have to graze as much next year.
A very thick pile sat on top of my Jerusalem artichoke plants, which I hoped to grow over the winter to have large artichokes next summer. Like other perennials, I leave asters, primroses, and other seed-bearing plants dormant in the garden so that birds and small creatures can eat the seeds and find shelter from the elements.
I finally moved my mason bee boxes out of the house and into the garage for the winter. The cold doesn't bother them, but pesky raccoons know how to chase them. Keep in mind that if you want to add mason bees to your garden next year, now is a good time to start planning where to place them and sorting your materials and bees.
