Ready for whatever's coming next

A month ago Mark and I raked up all the leaves that had fallen at that point in the garden and then chopped them up with the lawnmower. I ended up with 11 bags of leafy mulch about half of which I put down on exposed garden beds and on newly planted items.

I decided I did not want to take a chance of extreme cold with no snow cover again this winter. Thus the unusual step of putting down a fall mulch. What did not get used will come in handy next spring. 

This last weekend I went around the entire garden making sure all the evergreens were clear of any fallen and wet leaves. Letting that kind of debris sit on evergreen branches all winter has the potential to kill wherever it sits for any length of time.

While I did that, Mark emptied the hoses and brought them indoors for the winter, took a load of fallen branches and debris to the county drop-off site and then prepped the driveway for the first serious snowfall. We missed the storm forecast for the weekend but more appear to be on the horizon.

The minute the landscape gets blanketed in white, it becomes hard to see where the edge of the paved driveway meets the planted areas. 

Digging into that planted border with our big snowblower will wreak havoc on the dormant plants enjoying their winter break. It's critical to know just how far you can go with shovels and machinery.

Mark made these attractive markers of bamboo and jute last year for the first time. He saved all the stakes to use again this winter and marked both edges of the driveway including the curve where it meets the street. These are also visible reminders of where to drive when I'm backing out of the garage!

Once all the trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, it is easy to see that we garden in the city on a busy road surrounded by neighbors. During the growing season one hardly sees the houses all around us. This view is always a bit of a surprise come November.

Comments

[Peter/Outlaw]

Your garden looks all ready for winter! I'm impressed with all you do to prepare. Being a lazy gardener, I usually just go inside, shut the door, and hope for the best.

[Loree / danger garden]

I am so thankful to live somewhere that does not require snow markers, but those are lovely!

[Linda Brazill]

I've left plenty undone but I am not working outdoors when the high is not getting out of the 20s.

[Linda Brazill]

If it doesn't snow for a while they are much nicer to look at than orange plastic snow fencing which is what a lot of people do.

[Lisa at Greenbow]

It appears that you are ready for winter to commence. I know that feeling of being exposed to the world. I hate it. We are by a busy road too.

[Kris P]

It's only since I began reading blogs that I've come to appreciate how much effort goes into preparing for winter's arrival in climates that aren't like my own. The bamboo markers are brilliant and, if I had more sense I'd be using that leaf chopper buried somewhere in the garage to chop up more of my own leaves before tossing them in the compost tumbler.

[ceci]

Here most of our snows are under 6 inches.....not that they don't tie up traffic, cancel school, etc, but still, relatively low levels of snow. So I am amused in parking lots, etc, to see 36 inch markers set up to guide plows....this product has some very effective marketing! And of course they are not as attractive as yours!

ceci

[Linda Brazill]

We used to just use straight bamboo rods but these are much nicer. They feel like an appropriate addition to the garden rather than the typical last minute make-do that winter brings on.

[Beth @ PlantPostings]

What a great idea--and they look attractive, too! I was so glad this last snowstorm missed us; then again, it's only a matter of time...

[Susan Adler Sobol]

Those bamboo markers are in a class of their own!

[Erin @ The Impatient Gardener]

It seems absurd to get so excited about a little bit of bamboo and twine, but I think Mark's idea is ingenious. It looks so much better than the hideous reflective stakes we've used forever. Thanks for the great idea. It's probably too late to implement this strategy this year, but I will make a mental note to make use of it in the future.

[Linda Brazill]

When you see those markers every time you leave and return, it does make it worth the work to make them look good. Plus I see them from the kitchen window over the sink.

[Mark Golbach]

He Said: Linda neglected to mention that the bamboo sticks are actually split staves from worn out kendo practice swords. They work well because they are high quality bamboo, uniform in shape and thicker at one end, the end I put in the ground. I'm lucky to have a source!