Our Squaw winter only lasted a few days, just long enough to remind me to get outdoors and get my last plants in the ground, perennials planted and the greenhouse ready for winter.
I usually set up a cold frame or two and check all my indoor pots to make sure they are clean, disinfected and ready to use. Preparing soil for indoor plants is also on my list of activities.
I also gather all the garden tools, clean them and put them away in the barn until spring returns. The gardens will be cleaned and covered with a mix of grass clipping and leaves. This will protect the ground and will be worked into the soil next spring to enrich the soil.
Its time to get my windowsill gardens ready for a larger harvest of herbs, greens, a few tomatoes, peppers and even strawberries. And last year I grew a few beans – just enough to add to a salad.
We have for days of decent weather predicted and I need to paint the raised bed frame in front of the house and mow the yard two more times. One time to get the lawn the same length and to rake the excess grass clippings and leaves to add to my compost bins and the final mowing to make sure the yard is ready for winter.
I don’t know if you have noticed this, but it seems if I mow the yard as late as possible I don’t need to mow as early plus I don’t get snow mold in the yard. (Snow mold is not actual mold but if the grass is long it seems to get soggy and sticky looking) It just doesn’t look healthy and many people refer to it as snow mold.
I am also moving and diving my peony plants. I will just plant then in pots over winter and place them outside in the spring. By diving them now the roots will get over transplanting shock and will blossom next spring. If I wait until next spring there will be no flowers on these stunning heirloom plants.
I am hoping for a few more weeks of nice weather before winter decides to set in but NW PA was not blessed with a warm or long summer or fall so I plan to be prepared and start winterizing the yard and home this week.
And by setting up my indoor garden areas and working more with my indoor plants I will hopefully forget it’s a bit colder outdoors.
