Elsie Sydnor
Yes, the fuchsia year is drawing to a close and with it the drudge of garden ‘housework’. Somehow it is easier to clean the garden when there are plentiful blossoms everywhere. Fuchsias and their companions are generally looking bedraggled from a long season of growth.
Let’s make this job a bit more fun this year. Before going to work, get a clipboard or notebook to take notes as you walk through the garden. Draw a line down the middle of the paper and put a + on one side and a – on the other. List the plants that brought you the most pleasure this summer, not just fuchsias, but every plant! On the minus side, name the plants/areas that were not wonderful. Try to list the reasons for the minus side’s lack of success.
On a second sheet of paper, list jobs that you see that need to be done now, in January and later in the spring. Do not make the list too long! Stick with jobs that will make a noticeable difference for the better.
For example, we lost a couple fuchsias in a shady bed by the front door so which of our uprights in pots might be happier in the ground? Al is making a list of cuttings he wants to take. In the perennial bed a large butterfly bush has to be removed to make room and more light for shorter plants. It is also obvious that the fortnight lily will have to be divided this year. We know fuchsias and roses need to be pruned; that is a given so it does not go on the list.
Approach the cleaning tasks with a positive attitude. Enjoy the crisp fall air. Listen to the birds. Do not try to do everything in one week end. Clean one area well before moving on to the next. Appreciate the clean look of the flowerbeds, the neatly stacked pots, the tidy workbench. If possible, set out a few pots of winter bloomers to brighten your spirits.
Now that the humdrum cleaning is all done, look at that list you made and start on the plan for an even better garden next year!