You sound very organized! That is not the case here :-)

Not the case here, either! And in my climate, the garden "sleeping" really doesn't happen anyway. Many things will continue to grow (and often flower) throughout the winter - including weeds - and some plants are intended specifically for their winter appeal and ability to attract the year round hummingbirds.

Same as gardengal. Plenty still going on here. I have favas soaking which need sowing this week. And the grass is still growing.

Stoopid houszsz.. I had a long post typed out poof it disappeared AAARGH!

I don't feel like re-typing all that, but I am impressed that you've got all that done already!

Oh gosh, I still have so much to do! I haven't even cleaned out my pots yet. I hope to get stuff done this week. After that, I may just have to give up and admit defeat. I should just push myself to do it all! Scheduled for a knee replacement on Dec. 8, so after that...

Yes, oh gosh is right! Not nearly as organized here. Have barely done a thing! Made one pass with the leaves (another 4 passes at least to be done). And yesterday I potted up a few tulip bulbs. But that's about it.

I've THOUGHT about digging up my dahlias. Does that count lol? Although seriously I'm not sure they're ready. Very odd this year - we had a freeze about a week ago that only HALF-zapped them lol. So they're kinda half black and mushy, and half green and looking good! Literally each plant is half and half. So I'm not sure what to do!

Also thought about going out today to do some stuff but just not feeling it. I keep telling myself to get out there and do it while it's nice out, or I'll be kicking myself when I'm out there freezing my butt off (like every other year lol). But some things have to wait. I can shred my leaves now, but can't put down mulch till the ground freezes. So I'll be out there freezing at some point anyway lol.

Congrats, schoolhouse, on your efficiency. I mean it in all seriousness when I say I'm impressed - and a bit jealous lol.

:)

Dee

Schoolhouse, you got me with that last line.....the grass shears dropped off for sharpening?! lol That is dedication. That's a real vacation. I look forward to the winter break too.

We are not done yet, but every weekend, we've been chipping away at it. "We're getting there." I say that so often that my family completes my sentence before I do. [g]

I think the climate change and the warm weather have stretched out the fall to the point, I'm not always sure what to do when. I still have Bok Choy, Cilantro, Kale, Mustard Greens and Beets under fabric that has not gotten zapped yet. I just picked more roses. In November? I did manage to get cover crop growing in a couple of my vegetable beds. Have chopped leaves spilling over some beds. Rainbarrels are emptied and put away. A couple of pots emptied and put away. I'd have them all done this weekend, if it hadn't rained two nights in a row and I didn't want to dig. Still have about 10 pots of perennials that need to be planted in the ground.

Never got to my Fall project this year, to redo one of my largest beds, but we did get to remulch a sitting area today, which will keep us from having to do it in the spring.

So - As long as the ground is not frozen and it's not freezing cold out there, we will keep chipping away and do as much as we can before winter break.

Cyn, good luck with your surgery!

Mxk3 - hope you will come back and make a longer post about what you've been up to.

Floral, grass still growing. Wow you have a long growing season.

Gardengal - year round hummingbirds? That sounds lovely.

Gardengal, is that a current picture???

PM2, it sounds like you are well on your way! Certainly better organized than I am lol. And yes, agree that climate change has made fall cleanup less of a specifically timed thing.

I too noticed that comment about the garden shears being dropped off. It reminds me of when I was gardening for a couple of years, and happened to fall into a job helping a woman with her garden. She was such a wonderful friend. We would always have tea after we gardened, and one day late in the season we were talking over our tea and she was discussing getting her tools sharpened for the winter. I had never sharpened my tools and wanted to, and said to her, "where do you bring them to be sharpened?". She looked at me with a slightly confused look on her face and answered, "to the basement....."

lol

:)

Dee

Dee, we sharpen some of our hand tools, but I'm never quite happy with it. So, no, I wouldn't automatically think everyone sharpens their tools. [g]

This year, I wouldn't say I'm more organized at all. Past seasons, I would try to organize. Make plenty of lists and plan what was going to get done every weekend. This year, I just wake up every Saturday morning, head out the door and look around and say okay what do I want to get done the most and go from there. It's actually more relaxing and enjoyable that way and I might even get more done without spinning my wheels. NO lists, to show how few things got checked off! [g]

GG - I've never seen a hummingbird and snow in the same photo!

Almost done here too. Just a little bit more shredding of maple leaves and my garden will be asleep until spring. Whether it wants to or not….put a fork in me, I need a break!

No, not current (thank God!!) That was from a rather freak snowstorm we had February 2019.

Anna's hummingbirds are year round residents here along the west coast almost as far north as the southern tip of Alaska. They are such a joy! I plan and plant my garden as much for them as I do for me. But I always have a feeder or two up to supplement, specially in winter, and one hangs in direct view of my sofa so bird activity is intentionally very visible :-) Before this latest rainstorm hit, there was some serious dog fighting going on with at least 3 birds dive bombing and chasing each other. And with much chirping and scolding going on!

I hesitated about mulching early, especially with leaf mulch; but we had a week of such nice weather and I had the energy. It helps keep the weeds at bay too. Most of the mulch I put down over the summer was gone.

Yes, it has been a long growing season for us too.

As far as tool sharpening, I take my loppers in probably every other year or when the cuts they make aren't clean anymore. I have bought those tool sharpeners that you can use yourself, but never actually tried it. In fact, I have no idea where any of them are. This is the first time I've taken the cordless grass shears in. In fact the guy at the hardware said, "We haven't seen any of those come in for sharpening but we'll give it a try".

I'm impressed, I wish I was as far along!

We had a string of cold nights which brought down a good portion of the fall foliage, but there's still enough warmth during the day to keep the lawn growing.... and the gardener mowing!

I think another week and it will slow down enough that it can be ignored.

It may be chillier but I love the bright autumn sun and how the cold clears out the garden. Bulbs are still going in but that could drag out until December, and just a few more cannas are left to dig up and store.

I'm already poking around looking for snowdrops and inspecting the witch hazel, but the slower pace of this time of year is welcome.

Everything is buttoned up for winter at camp. Wish I could say the same for me at home. The only thing I got done was the bulbs dug up and 75% of the grasses tied up. Starting next week I'll be home for 3 weeks so I hope to have some semi warm weather to pull out the annuals and cut down the perennials. This was taken tonight at camp. NW PA

GGal - Hummingbirds are fascinating to watch, lucky you.

Katob - I am enjoying the chillier temps. Some days it feels like fall, crisp and dry and cool. A welcome change after the heat and humidity of summer. I also like how the cold clears out the garden. I enjoy when the leaves come off the trees and my small back yard has a lot more light and sun, and the new slant of the sun, makes it's contribution.

Functionthenlook - Hope you enjoy your time off and get a lot done. Wow - snow already!!

Gardengal, I've wondered...do the Anna's hummingbirds get nectar from heaths like Erica 'Kramer's Rote'? I assume the bushier winter heaths like that are fairly common plants in the PNW, I vaguely remember spotting a few in 2011. Any other winter bloomers they will visit?

Yes, they are frequent visitors to heaths and heathers. And also visit sarcococca, skimmia, mahonias, fall and winter blooming camellias (especially sasanquas), winter blooming clematis like C. cirrhosa, Arbutus unedo, hellebores, bergenia and the late winter bloomers like hamamelis, Daphne odora, corylopsis and stachyurus. Also Lonicera fragrantissima, which is not a invasive species here.

And if you are a hummer geek like me, plants like Grevillea victoriae and hardy fuchsias (which bloom for me most of the winter unless hit by an Arctic blast) are very appealing.

There is actually quite a lot to keep them happy if you do some research and planning. And I keep those feeders full and going as well.