Yeayyyy, My Colorblends tulips, alliums and Lenten roses came today! I have 200 of the French rose blend tulips inthe ground and all 25 Sunshine hybrids lenten roses. FInished them with rain pourin down but they were just little rooted cuttings so they were quick to plant. Only 20 more feet to dig on my TUlip trench,,YEAy! SHould be able to do it tomorrow unless the rains descend in force! II was pleased to find that the soil seems neither too sandy nor too clayish after the rain. Good to get back to work after the days off with a cold!

Got the last of the glads (the few I want to keep, maybe 300 at most) dug up yesterday, only a few hours ahead of the first snow. It was lovely, big, fat flakes that accumulated maybe an inch last night. I had to go plug my hoophouse heater back in so it would melt that heavy stuff off the hoophouse and not collapse it. Most of the snow is already melted now. I guess I'll be taking the hoophouse cover off for the winter, maybe tomorrow.

Everything that's going to be transplanted already is. Everything that's going to be dug up already is. I'm not digging the dahlias up. They are so much work for so few flowers so late here, they just aren't worth the effort for just me. Even the fastest of them (Karma Serena, an unnamed white cactus, and Snoho Beauty) yield maybe five blooms before first frost, and the rest produce none to two. They were an attempt to get big, main-event flowers late in the season, but they're just too slow. Combined with our early frosts, the results just aren't worth the work and bed space. I think lettuce or carrots would be a better use of that space. All the lilies are out of the hoophouse now; that precious raised-bed space will be devoted to tomatoes, cucumbers, and maybe sweet peppers. My sister, who raised all the veggies we ate for the past 7 years, is moving to Missouri, so I'm on my own for veggies. The timing worked out well, since I just folded my business and have lots of raised bed space to fill.

I don't have as much raised-bed space outside as I'd planned; there were just too many perennials I couldn't bear to part with, for instance the 38 peonies. Nobody needs 38 peony plants! I justify it somewhat by planning to move quite a few plants into the house garden next year, once I get it cleaned up and drip-irrigated. And nobody needs as many Oriental lilies as I kept, either, especially considering that I can't have them in the house (the fragrance gives me headaches, even though I love it), so all those Orientals are destined for friends and workspace, and for me to enjoy when I'm in the garden.

I'm almost done with all outside garden work for the season. I will clean up the house garden a little, and of course take down the hoophouse plastic, but then I'm DONE. And there are 23 inches of snow at the top of the local ski mountain already. I can hardly wait!

Jeanne

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....
That's what's been happening here. It melts again, maybe every third day or so, so there isn't any accumulation on the ground at this level (there is on the ski mountain, hooray!). Still, I love watching it snow. Besides, that forcibly ends any last-minute garden projects I still thought I'd do outside.

I went through all the glads I'd dug up and have kept way too many. Threw out any that were even slightly undersized or had even the tiniest problem, and STILL have way too many. I figured out bed space and realized I can only plant about 180, but kept more like 400. It's HARD to eliminate varieties I love - there are way too many! I have something like 40 labeled varieties, plus mixes of mostly desired varieties that I got mixed up in the process of digging up and replanting for years. NOW what???

Jeanne

Pot them and sell aa started pots of glads in the spring. Or give them to everyone on your Christmas list!