The End Of Summer
Summer is quickly coming to an end here, our days feel like fall with crisp mornings and overcast days. I’ve even had to add the electric blanket back to the bed. The perennials are trimmed back (the few that I have) and birdhouses cleaned out.
The farmers are taking pumpkins out of the fields and I’ll be able to get my outdoor fall decorating done. I buy so many pumpkins every year that I decided I need a pumpkin patch of my own next year. I’ll do a little research before I tackle the adventure but it has to be a cheaper route even if I only supply myself with a few pumpkins. I just don’t want to get wrapped up in a big weeding job.
I did manage to find the time yesterday to get the garden cart painted. I ended up painting it the same color as our house trim, my first thought was to paint it black but at the last minute I changed my mind. Now this week I’ll pick up some straw, pumpkins, and ornamental cabbage to add to it.
I’m hoping this week will be the last time I have to mow the yard for the season. I have so much to mow, and with two houses it’s not an enjoyable task. I know many people love to mow, but I’m not one of them. I’m always thinking of other things I could be doing instead of just riding up and down the lawn in nice straight lines for hours.
I still need to switch my clothing over to the next season, but our temps are just warm enough around 70 that some days if I’m working outside I still need a short sleeve shirt. But I’m anxious to get out my flannel shirt, beanie slouch hats, and Hunter boots. That’s the best part of cold weather, I can wear a cute hat and don’t have to do my hair.
Do you have anything special you have to do at your place to wrap up summer?
I’ve pulled most of my vegetable plants from my raised beds, but I still have tomatoes to do when they’re finished. I still have marigolds in the raised beds – I kept them for their fall colors and I’m enjoying them for the time being. When I did my window boxes this year, I also planted some marigold seeds in them so that I’d have the oranges for fall…so those will also need tending to. I would like to try a small pumpkin patch, too.
I’ve switched to fall clothes, but kept some from summer for the warmer days. It’s not cool enough yet, but I’m looking forward to flannel shirts, too. My husband and I have to begin stacking our winter wood supply in the garage next to the house – we wait for cooler days to do that job.
Jen brilliant idea of adding the seeds to your window boxes (thinking ahead). Hubby and I debated on putting in an outside wood burner, but I’m not fond of all the work that it would require for me (hubby’s out of town a lot) is that what you have or just a fireplace.
We have a Jotul wood stove with a glass window. My parents had a wood stove, so while my husband is better at it, I can get a fire built and keep it going all day. The wood heat feels so much better and there’s nothing like standing by it when you’re chilled. LOL.
Jen I loved it when we had our pellet burner, it had a glass door also. I was completely in charge of keeping it going and I knew everything about it. It was easy to just fill will a 40lb. bag of pellets and clean once a week. I also could keep the house as warm as I wanted, which I loved.
I’ve cleaned out the veggie tubs on my plant tables, dug a few tender perennials, and started to undecorated the garden. We had some rain late yesterday and overnight. I’ve finally switched from sandals to shoes and given up capris for pants 🙁 I’ve also been sorting out some knitting and crochet projects to work on now the evenings are cooling down and relaxing time is inside instead of in the gazebo.
Linda we’ve had rai for days here and the yard is a mushy mess. Even if I need to mow I’m not sure I could. Yes I’ve done away with the capris too, but I’m still not ready to put away the flip flops. I haven’t crochet in quite some time I may have to start doing it again.
I haven’t knitted since I was a teen, but I’m thinking about taking it up again. I’d like to do some sewing projects, too.
Jen I’ve never learned to knit but I can crochet, my mom taught me when I was about 7. I picked it up again about 5 years ago but I can only do so many projects with no place for them to go. What kind of sewing projects are you interested in?
Easy ones that I can do in a day….LOL. My sewing machine, etc. is kept on my sun porch, which will be freezing cold this winter. Since I’ll be sewing at the kitchen/dining room table, I’ll want to be done at the end of the day…and who knows if I’ll feel like lugging it all back out the next day. I’d like to sew some new pillow covers and a skirt for my kitchen sink; some items to give as Christmas gifts.
Jen, I wish we exchanged Christmas presents sometimes. I would love to sew a few things but we gave it up years ago as a money saving idea and it stuck.
yes, it is time to start thinking about the winter months here in Mich which can be brutal. Mowing season is about over and I must have missed something as you said you mow 2 houses!! I have cleaned out some flowers also
Jeanie so far I see the forecast calling for a lot of snow for Michigan. Yes we have our cabin (our residence) and we also have a guest house.
I live in south Texas so the first thing I do when the weather permits (as it did this week) is open up the house to air it out from six+ months of closed-in air conditioning. I get renewed by the cooler weather and am only now inspired to mow, edge (sweat free), and clean the patio and make it livable for the Fall and Winter months! Can’t wait to have a fire in my fire pit! (Of course the AC is still running during the day–but the nights are just perfect!)
Elaine I used our air more than ever here in Michigan this year and really hate that, I like fresh air. Yes it’s so nice to work outside and not sweat like a pig, lol. I’ve heard many people say lately that they have fall candles burning and the AC running.
Loved the photos Dawn…yes, lots of summer flowers that are waning that need to be trimmed down…the acorns are falling like crazy in our yard now…I love the Fall…my hubby, well, he dreads having to deal with the leaves on the ground…I love Fall…
Shirley luckily we don’t have to deal with the leaves, my space is so open they all blow away. Do you have to pick up the acorns too or can they be mowed over? I mow over everything even pinecones in my yard. Hubby would probably die if he knew, lol.
Fall at our house is much like summer, but I am spending this month researching drought tolerant plants to create a garden that will survive the drought.
Carol, I bet it will be hard to find plants that can thrive with little water. It seems like ferns around here can be neglected and still survive but not sure in CA.
Mowing is over for the year as we’ve had our first snowfall which quickly melted. Our leaves should turn now and start to fall as we use them each year to cover the Hosta bed. The Irises will still need to be trimmed and we collect seeds from the hollyhocks each year. Due to heavy smoke we didn’t put out our flower pots as we live in the mountains of Montana. Enjoy seeing your yard, thank you for sharing.
Patty, does the smoke damage the plants? My son is a firefighter but I’ve never thought to ask him that question.
The smoke doesn’t bother but lack of sun slows growth especially with above ground vegetables. Tomato plants produced very little while our old raspberry patch did fine. Raspberries were able to set on before the heavy smoke occurred where vegetables were blooming much later. Happy to report that the rain and snow took the smoke out of the air for this year.
Patty, I hadn’t thought about the sun not getting through, good point. So thankful for the rain.