Time to take care of our plants
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- October 21, 2019
- 898
Our garden has suddenly burst forth with an abundance of blooms on several of her plants just as Mother Nature is getting ready to spread her frost around. Our house is unhappy that her pretty floral decorations are in danger and has demanded that we, her occupants, do something. How do humans fight frost? By covering those tender blooms of course.
Unfortunately our gardens are rather spread out, which makes it difficult to cover all her bloomers, while some plants are just too big. To protect all of them from the killing frost was just not possible. We don’t have enough covers.
But we do have a shed. It took a lot of muscle and determination, but we managed to stuff a few plants into our already-full shed. With any luck those shed-plants will survive the cold winter and be ready to burst forth in bloom come warmer weather.
Now our house is happier that her beloved plants are protected from the frost. However, our poor, little shed is rather overstuffed. She isn’t complaining, but she is a bit uncomfortable. We have to remember to be very careful opening her doors because she might just spew forth a plant or two.
One or two plants have a sleepy look like they may be getting ready for their long winter nap. Those are the perennials that will survive in their roots until spring. We love perennials but are seduced every year by the bright colors of the annuals. Next year, if the protected plants don’t survive, they will be happily replaced by the hardy perennials.
Almost all houses love their gardens. They see them as their skirts. Not that a nice green lawn isn’t appreciated, but a few colorful flowers enhance every house.
An old friend of ours had his house surrounded by rocks: nothing to fertilize and nothing to mow. Neither his house nor his wife were thrilled with that plan, so he had to add some colorful plants in pots to the rock lawn. That made his house and his wife happy, but he had to get a greenhouse to winter those potted plants.
Fortunately he had plenty of money to indulge his weird gardening inclinations. For that, his house and his wife were grateful.