My Garden Diary

Raked leaves again. The wind had blown some leaves from The Tree to the front of the house, but they were few compared with the back. In back, I only raked the leaves from the lawn, to prevent them from smothering the grass. I also gathered leaves into mounds on the patio and walkways. I left the leaves in the shrub and flower beds alone; they make an excellent mulch, which will help reduce the need to run the sprinklers next summer.

Need to rake some more leaves in back, but I didn't do any raking today. Rain is expected tomorrow, so I expect even more leaves to fall. I plan to rake on Thursday (the day of New Year's Eve).

Pruned four of the roses in back. The 'Iceberg' and miniature 'Salmon Ovation' are still in bloom, and the climbing 'Dublin Bay' is about to bloom. I left those three alone for now. In front, some roses are also either in bloom or about to bloom. When I'm through pruning the peach tree and grape vines, however, any roses remaining will be pruned whether or not they are blooming.

We've also had some night frosts. I see some minor damage to the pink clover and Alstroemeria. But many plants continue to bloom.

Stirred the compost pile, adding oak leaves that I previously raked in front (8 Dec). Then I raked the front again, refilling the trash barrel that I had just emptied and then pouring even more leaves into the green bin for the County's composting project. As before, almost all of the leaves were from my oak tree.

Raked the lawn in back. Most of these leaves were from The Tree. After filling the green bin to the top, I mounded the excess on the walkways and patio.

Cut some rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) in front and other herbs in back to season a pork roast that I will barbecue tonight.

Picked some lemons from the dwarf tree to give to the host tomorrow when I play bridge.

Again, I raked, raked, and raked some more, all in front. This time, most of the leaves were from my oak tree. But when I look up, the tree is still green, looking as if it had not lost any leaves at all. I finished mulching the circular bed. Then I filled an empty trash barrel; when the compost pile dries enough to work it, I'll stir these leaves into it. Finally, I filled the green trash bin; these leaves will go to the county's composting project. Meanwhile, The Tree in back has not started to drop its leaves.

Rake, rake, rake those leaves. I cleaned up the front of the house, raking mostly zelkova and liquidambar leaves. There were also quite a few leaves from my valley white oak, but that tree is still mostly green. I used all the leaves to mulch the east and circular beds in back. Two hours later, I looked out a window. It looked as if a rake had not touched the area!

When I raked some leaves from the pink clover in the front lawn, I saw that I had to trim the edges of the lawn. I also trimmed some coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis) that was growing over the sidewalk on the far side of the driveway, under the rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).

More than a dozen lemons are ripening on my dwarf tree, along with uncounted small green lemons. In the meantime, I've been picking up guavas as they fall out of their bush.

Put up some cuttings of 'Goodwin Creek Grey' lavender (Lavandula lanata × dentata) in anticipation that Cleopatra might chew the remaining thrift (Armeria meritima) in the circular bed in back to stumps.

Also put up cuttings of the all-green (i.e., not variegated) pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum) from the greenhouse window. This plant has not been doing well. Since I only see variegated pothos at local nurseries, my only chance to have the all-green variety is through cuttings.

Raked leaves in front, mostly zelkova (Z. serrata) with some liquidambar (L. styraciflua) and valley white oak (Quercus lobata). I added the leaves — along with grass clippings from having the back lawn mowed (31 Oct) — to my compost pile. The next batch of leaves will be spread over the east bed in back, where the leaf mulch has become sparse.

Trimmed the edge of the rose bed facing the circular bed and along the small circular patio. Also trimmed the east bed along that same patio. Not only was the pink clover (Persicaria capitata) beginning to grow out over the walkway and patio, but also the Penstemon extended well more than a foot over the patio.

With a possibility of rain tomorrow, I cleaned mud from the catch box at bottom of the downhill V-ditch on My Hill. I definitely don't want the catch box or its drain line getting plugged.

Did some more weeding in the parkway (19 Oct).