I have to admit I am not much of a gardener. My enthusiasm peaks in the spring, when the sun is starting to shine, the garden centres are full of exciting discoveries, and I haven’t killed anything yet. As summer moves in, the plants installed with great intentions fail to thrive, while the weeds do the opposite, leaping up as if fed the most delicious fertilizer, and the maintenance becomes a humdrum task. By the fall, it’s definitely time to put that garden to bed.
That’s why I’m grateful this Thanksgiving weekend for warm, sunny weather to do that tidying up. In addition to the weed-pulling, trimming, raking, and bulb-planting, these ideas will make your future gardening life easier:
- Keep a record of what did and did not work for you this year. I still have the labels for the tomato plants, so that I can note which grew well, and I can buy that kind again. Which herbs were tastiest? Which flowers bloomed the most?
- Keep a record of what type of bulbs you’re planting (and where.) Of course you know now, but there’s a long winter ahead, and by the spring it may be a hazy memory.
- Clean the pots and tools, give them a little oil if necessary, and store them safely. When the enthusiasm bubbles up again in the spring, you’ll be ready!
photo: Alexis Siudut photography
