It’s that time of the year for raking leaves
I did not appreciate that flash of winter when I was so looking forward to a long, warm, orange autumn. Sure it is quite nice now but all my roses and annual flowers froze. The Russian olive tree lost two major branches on top with the weight of the snow. I beat the other snow-laden trees and shrubs with a broom to rid them of the heavy weight. Oh well, it made yard cleanup happen a little sooner. We sat watching, through the front picture window, a doe and her fawn chewing the last of the roses two nights ago.
Our pink chrysanthemums and purple asters are holding their own through these cold nights. I have noticed an influx of birds. Juncos and mourning doves are eating the seed spilled from the feeders. The flickers are back. I think they are looking for the blue Virginia Creeper berries but I had convinced my husband to cut it down. It overgrew its location on the front of the garden shed and the leaf hoppers were all over us when we needed to go into it. Spraying this rapidly growing vine with dormant oil in late winter will smother the eggs of this insect, for which it is notorious.
The red pole finches, common finches and sparrows are emptying the feeders every few days. The chickadees and nuthatches are helping also. I truly enjoy watching the wee nuthatch pounding the seeds into the peeling bark of the old apple tree! The jays and magpies like to cache peanuts for a later time too.
While the weather is fairly nice be sure to pull up the dead annuals and get your bulbs planted. Trim back your perennials, leaving about six inches of growth to catch snow for winter insulation. Rake all the leaves from your lawn when the last of them fall. The city yard waste collection ends Nov. 17. Keep some leaves to pile on your gardens once the ground has frozen. We always add a three-inch layer of compost before the leaves. This adds more nutrients to your soil for spring growth.
The box-elder bugs, or maple bugs, are crawling the sunny side of your house about now. They are harmless, so choose to swat them away. Spraying chemicals is not necessary.
Have you noticed the beautiful reds of the burning bush, sumacs, amur maples, and mountain ash trees? Keep them in mind when shopping next spring for fall colour. The wind whipped some of the leaves from our red osier dogwood and I have a glint of the deep maroon red branches that will be fully exposed come winter!
I live next door to a yard lined in suckering tower poplars. A retired couple planted them many years ago when they moved in from their farm. This tree belongs on the farm, as a shelter belt, in my opinion. With their lateral root system they can sucker two yards away, so the suckers have to be pulled up constantly. We removed a 14-ft. sucker that had grown up through a crack in the sidewalk behind our garage. We back on to a green so needless to say we didn’t go back there much. It is a vigorous tree, but for privacy there are many other narrow and not so tall trees to acquire. red rocket maple, dakota pinnacle or parkland pillar birches, pyramidal mountain ash, standing ovation Saskatoon, purple spire crab-apple, and all season evergreen junipers and cedars are better choices in the city.
People are busy decorating their yard for the trick or treaters. Buy some pumpkins to decorate, carve, or bake into a pie. All proceeds from the sales of pumpkins at Windmill Garden Sales — generously donated by Eldorado Farms — will be given to the local Children’s Wish Foundation!
Bev Crawford is the Perennial House Manager at The Windmill Garden Centre and John’s Butterfly House.