Monday, November 22, 2010

A Big Bloomin' Mess

Once again, I missed Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  Not because I had no blooms!  It’s just that the blooms are being upstaged by the trees, the clear blue sky and that insanely beautiful golden light that hits the hills at dusk.  The blooms just aren’t the biggest attraction now.

Still, we got  French marigolds (Tagetes patula),

Canna (canna x generalis) "Cleopatra",

Nasturtium (tropaeolum)

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)


Roses (Hybrid tea - unknown cultivar)

Even a geranium (pelargonium) and petunia (petunia x hybrida) about to bloom.

Some herbs, cabbages and kale still poking along. 

Still harvesting the odd "watermelon" radish.  

Did I mention the leaves from the 40+ trees that are now blanketing the property?   We’re doing it a little different this year.  Instead of raking them up and packing them in 20-odd compostable bags for the town to pick up, I’m gonna blow them into the back of my “woods,” where I’m hoping they compost themselves, help keep the weeds down, and give the bugs a place to hide from the chickens. Maybe I’ll even shred them with the lawnmower and mulch my beds with them.  


But really.  Why move leaves around when I can play fetch with Miss. B??  Can you say "procrastination"....

Have you dealt with your leaves yet?

7 comments:

TALON said...

Aww! Miss B is so cute! Riley and Charlie think leaf piles were invented for them :)

We did that this year - scooped up some into bags for the city compost, but the rest we attacked with the lawnmower and spread around the beds.

tina said...

That watermelon radish is like way cool! You are smart to keep your leaves. None of mine leave my property and as I'm able to I go collect my neighbors leaves. A good amendment. The only drawback is the voles love them too. Wow on the bloomers in NY in November!

meemsnyc said...

We have so many leaves too. We bagged a lot and my husband wants to throw the rest into the woods also. I love that watermelon radish, it's gorgeous.

Pam J. said...

Don't you just love those late-blooming flowers? So pretty! Yeah, leaves don't leave my property, even if it means leaving a huge pile all winter. Eventually they will break down and be good mulch.

Hook Mountain Growers said...

What are your thoughts on the watermelon radish. I grew them despite not being a radish fan and while they are pretty I find you need to slice them ultra-thin to be palatable.

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

You still have many blooms even the weather getting colds and all of them are pretty. We never had that much of leaves like yours to rake.Never saw a watermelon radish until we look at your snapshot. Are you collecting seeds form the cilantro? Our cilantros are also flowering and it is more than 5feet height now.

June said...

That watermelon radish is exquisite. I have to scare up a seed for those! It is a lovely season, though here it is bare and blowing now. Thank goodness a feast will soon distract us from our chilly fingertips. Happy Thanksgiving, dear friend!