Time, I suppose, to tackle fall projects
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- October 11, 2021
- 649
It usually begins to get cold this time of year, but so far our weather is holding onto higher temperatures. The nights are a bit on the cool side, but the days are warming up very nicely. The weather is just perfect for outdoor projects.
My current project is getting our gardens ready for winter. That includes moving potted plants into the earth. It’s not always easy to move such plants, particularly those that have grown fairly big in their pots. But there is no longer any space in our house for those plants to spend the cold months inside. So in hopes that being moved into the good earth will see our plants safely through the winter, we have begun planting and mulching.
Digging holes big enough for root-bound potted plants isn’t easy. Of course, digging in clay has never been easy, and clay is what we are dealing with.
The plus for our yard is the clay is filled with worms, but with or without worms, it is pure torture in which to dig holes. It seemed to take forever, but we finally got a couple of those plants firmly in the ground — it's amazing how age has an effect on effort.
The rain delayed any hole digging for now, which was good timing, actually, because this hole digger is worn out. We thought we would try inviting some relatives over for some coffee and try to interest them in helping, but surprisingly, there have been no volunteer shovel users.
This plant-lover cannot leave those poor potted plants to succumb to winter’s cold, so our house will have to provide sanctuary. How we will all function in a place with two adults, two dogs and too many rather large potted plants is anyone’s guess. Just hope those plants don’t harbor any additional life hidden in their leaves. Even one bug will be one too many.