PUTTERING

On a glorious October Saturday afternoon

Much of the country is glued to college football.

Which if fine

For them

But not me

I can’t bring myself to sit still

The garden calls

No screams for me to come and play

It’s puttering season

I love to putter

Spending the day in the garden with no real agenda.

I begin to re-arrange things in my mind.

In the back perennial bed there will be some changes come spring.

Moving the dahlias to more sunshine will displace that Aloha rose.

I’ve found a new home for it.

But that means that I need to find a place for 2 veronica spicata plants.

I have plenty

More than enough

So I think they will move to the farm

They’ll like life with Pat and Ann

They are always looking for plants that attract bees.

This is the one.

There is a sage plant gone completely awry.

Gay thinks she would like it for her herb area.

And since she’s a much better cook than I

Off it goes.

I still have another giant one left.

OK that leaves the Stella d’Ora

(sorry can’t seem to find a picture of them)

These are a terrific plant

Their golden blooms appear along with the purple of larkspur

God is such a great gardener.

But they get lost later on in the season

So I think I’ll move them to the front of the bed.

I’ll likely divide them when I move them

So some of them, too, may take up life in the country

Well that should make a nice open home for the Aloha rose.

It gets pretty big so it needs space.

Once the dahlias are moved

I’ll have more room for Hydrangeas.

Believe I’ve mentioned this before.

There are a few new varieties I want to try

But I’m thinking I’ll try taking some cuttings from the Endless Summer Hydrangeas in the front.

I know

I’m terrible at taking cuttings.

But I keep trying

What is there to lose.

And so much to gain.

Finally figuring out a way to vastly increase the plants in my garden.

Being able to make babies to share with friends.

And something to watch over in the winter.

I just hate it when my fingernails get clean when it gets cold.

Another thing it’s time to do is plant basil.

I know

Cold is on the way

And it’s a warm weather herb.

Not if you plant a pot or two or dozen

For your use indoors this winter.

My winter basil plan is to plant several small pots

Over a period of several weeks.

Plant a couple at first

Then a few weeks later plant another one

Keep going till your sunniest window sill if filled.

If you really get going

You can plant some now for Christmas gifts.

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh basil when there is snow on the ground.

It’s also time to start moving things inside.

I carry over the Foxtail Ferns from the deck

There’s a secret to this.

They aren’t really planted in the clay pots.

I’ve planted them in large plastic pots

And put the pot inside the clay ones

Filling in around the edge with soil.

So, instead of digging them up each fall.

I simply pull up the plastic pots

Put them in the wheel barrow

And off they go to the garden house.

It’s also time to pick all the tomatoes and peppers that are ripe or nearly ripe.

Then the next question – green tomatoes.

Take a chance that they will somehow ripen

Or pick them green

Anyone have any good green tomato recipes?

I’ve got more green than I had ripe ones this year!!!

Happy puttering.

Gail