Bits of This and That #2

The weather has been absolutely glorious, perfect for dealing with my fall garden to-do list. Most things are going swimmingly, but....

Our front yard is teeny tiny, just a wee patch of grass and lots of shrubs. I love it for its simplicity, nothing much to do but prune now and again. We thought we would give everything a deep water in preparation for fall, as we have not had rain in months... and ended up with a huge pool of water in the basement, under the bay window. What a mess. So, add 'fixing the leak' to that to-do list to ensure that the spring snow melt doesn't all end up in the cold room.

I have most all of my garlic planted up but am looking for an additional wee spot somewhere that will hold the last 3 varieties, about 20 of each. My plan was to stick to about 200 bulbs but am going just a little bit over that as I really want to see how the different varieties fare in this garden zone. You never know until you try! You know me, I trial everything! Get your garlic in the ground this month, will post the how-to this week. Not sure what to do till my post comes out? Add a bunch of manure or compost on top of the bed this weekend.

The apple tree is looking lovely!

We're still waiting for the leaves to fall so that I can rake them all onto the bare garden beds. Not that I am in a hurry for the weather to change!

We brought in 7 yards of a good garden soil after the landscapers were gone but making it into great soil will take a few years. Adding leaves is a super easy way to make soil better, it costs nothing but yields great rewards. The leaves break down into compost and leaf mould, making the soil friable and rich in nutrients.

Leave the leaves whole or shred them with the lawn mower, top dress around your roses, garlic, over your prized dahlias (zone 7+), anywhere you want to insulate and improve your soil. Have no place to use them yet? Make a big pile, let them rot down into leaf mould. Feed this goodness to your beds or add to your pots for moisture retention.

Okay, on to the good stuff.... it has been a pretty quiet week but here are a few things that caught my eye...

Here is an article about why you should mulch your garden beds in fall.

Are you on Instagram? Love pretty garden pics? Check out this Swedish blogger and her wonderful colony garden. Here is her blog also.

Wondering what a Colony Garden is? Nordic Wellbeing ~ Colony Gardens

This cute cottage that reminds me of my grandmother's place. Love what they did with the bedroom.

Looking to make more of your yard into a permaculture garden? Check out this article about lasagna gardening. Convert Your Lawn to a No-Till Permaculture Garden – Mother Earth News

Love Stephen King? Like spooky movies? Check out these movies on Netflix.

Doughnuts that are baked rather than fried! Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts | Julie Blanner

Last, but not least... this German Apple Cake recipe.

The lemon and lime are indoors for the winter. They will hanging out in the grandkid's room.

Happy Sunday ~ Tanja