holy cow its October!

WOW summer is gone already-whaaaaaaaaaan Im sitting here snuggling in a big warm sweater with socks and footies on.
I also covered my mators and peppers before I came in for the night, I picked a bunch of tomatoes from red all the wat to huge green ones! FROST for morning and I believe them this time-darn cold out there

I still have all the garden decorations to put away and a pool to close yet(never give up on summer here)
I have daylily seeds coming out my ears and i saw hosta pods that need grabbed yet too....could someone please rewind the last month-Im just not ready for fall and its here!!!

How is everyone doing? Its time to come back to the forum and have a cup of HOT chocolate or a Margarita and relax and share all we have done this summer. What we grew that was new or different this yr. What you wont grow again next yr...anything...lets YAK!!!


hugz all!
dori NOT-martha

Dori, I love those lilies in the picture, do you have seeds :o)

question, how the heck do you weed?

Connie

Hahaha...yep Dori...times..has flown..for sure..It seems to go faster every year....oh goodness...This year the "Deer" were a problem...they were more hungry..for some reason...and everything..was just not right out there...My Brugs...well...if they make it tonight...( NO FROST) please...I might see one bloom...lol...but..(shaking head)...not a good year...Tomatoes...? not good either..now...Peppers...hehehehe...major ..hahah...Yep...it is winding down..for sure. Hope winter goes by...and Spring will come soon..hahaha...
Sending smiles..out there....
waving...Diana.....(going out and blowing hot air..up)....No frost yet..down here...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ;)

No frost here ,yet!
Getting all my cermaic Gnomes in ..
We pulled all the plants in the gaden that have quit producing.
They are coming tomorrow to cut down a 75 foot oak.. Hate ,to see it go but it has a hollow center.We will recoup part of the money,by burning it in the Woodmaster..
Did finally get my pond in . The pump will have to wait till next spring
We will be taking our annual color ride next week I always look forward to that, and then it will be back home to work on the 10 pulp cord of fire wood ,that has to be cut ,split and stacked for the winter,,

Aleta

Well, we got the FROST here last night. Couldn't cover everything, but did bundle up the dahlias- they were the best ever this summer. Sis coming tomorrow from outta state and I wanted her to see them. Notice the huge/tall brugs in the background. I'm sure they got frosted, but they were too tall to bring inside, so they needed a trim anyhow!!

Off to uncover things and then repeat it tonight....

Hi All!
This has been the worst summer ever for the vegie garden.
DH was gone for too long to Washington DC to do stuff for
he Dept.of Defense, and I did manage to get the garden
laid out and divided, but then the weeds too over. We never
transplanted till too late the vegs, and weeds took over my
garlics also. ugh ugh ugh. Then, it was too hot. Everything
dried up and frizzled.

Now its freezing. I can't keep up with this weather that Michigan
endures! How does anyone do it? You poor guys don't have
a moment of peace it seems. Hot, cold , wet, dry, windy, hail,
floods, one day 68 perfect, the next 2 weeks 99 with 99% humidity
and no rain. Nirvana for bugs I think, not for plants. And the soil!!!!!!
What gives with this soil? Who can call it that? The hardpan under
the 4" of topsoil is enough to burst your blood vessels when you
are digging. I have to gear up for about a week and get myself
psyched to go out to dig a hole for one plant. The other day it
was 50 degrees and I was bathed in sweat from digging out my
Metasequoia glyptostroboides to transplant to front lawn perimeter.
Thought I would die. ugh. Had to go in and take another shower.

Its rough here. I have to hand it to you all for your perserverence
and fortitude and up beat attitudes and caring for the environment.
I am impressed.

I could use an automatic hole digger. something hand held. Perhaps
an auger, but a smaller one? Maybe my hand mixer could do the job?

We are having 10 yards of sand delivered tomorrow morning, for the
back of the barn where the water doesn't drain at all through the soil.
Hopefully, this will cure the standing mud and ick from the horses and
raise the level at that end.
I transplanted a thornless Honeylocust to side of horse paddock off
from the back of the barn. It might make it, it might not. the poor dear
horses are desperate for some shade during the day. I have some
red maples that are ready to transplant also, maybe DH will dig some
holes for me tomorrow.

Plans for next year? Win the Lotto so I can put in 6' high pines along
the front of our farm to block the view from the road and now new
people building across the road from us. sigh. the farm across the
street, (well what was a farm) the gal sold off 4 or so acres and them
folks are building right across and now there is no more field and
trees to look at.

I heeled in pines and thujas, spruces this year, will transplant
next spring. some of the spruces i put in this year are doin ok.
my azaleas, rhodos, mugos, are just barely hanging in there.
Transplanted birches all died. What a load of work for nuttin!

Just got a replacement Climbing New Dawn rose in the mail
from Wayside, so that will get planted this w/e just in time for
the wet snow the weatherman said to plan on next week. : (((

I need the winter to recuperate from this insanity!!!!
I figured out the only real time to garden and grow here is
about May to June, then it all starts going downhill from there.
If you dont have it done by then, fuh gedda bout it.

Here's to a longgggg winter everyone! I can't wait to light
the woodstove also, and have a cuppa hot cocoa. If anyone
feels like visiting, we are home all the time.
Hugs to all
sheri

I take it Sheri, that you just moved to Michigan not to long ago, Welcome rofl....
cg

CG
I am from Long Island, NY. I then lived in Northern Westchester for
about 20 years, I am used to a comfortable, perfect, mild
Zone 7. With loamy friable dark rich soil. Breezes softly blown in
off the shore of the Northern shore of Long Island, protected little
hills and valleys, and great drainage from the underlying sand of
it all. I grew up with some famous gardeners, AJ Summers, who
developed the Hosta Sielbodiana, and of course, CZ Guest who
I spent nearly my whole life with growing stuff, and all the friends
houses with their million dollar gardeners and landscapers, hoo
boy. I grew to love Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Dogwoods and
Deutzias, Viburnums, Giant Beeches, Hornbeams, Plantanus,
Zelkovas, 150' Oaks, and I was daily at the Planting fields
arboretum, etc etc.
So, yes. This is a truly amazing culture shock for me.

I watch in wonder as the leaves on my trees and plants get
eaten by hordes of Japanese Beetles, and if they are
not totally denuded, then the wind blows them off completely.
Then, to top even that off, someone comes in with Emerald
Borers and all the trees die off inthe forest next to me. ugh!!!
Last week I watched in absolute horror as HAIL pummeled
the barns and then rolled off and landed on top of my
area I had set off as protection for my new plants nursery.
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

whats with the hail! ????
And, how come it takes about an hour or more to melt?
Is it super hail?
If I have one more lightening strike on this property that
blows up our modems, etc, I will just scream. Now I am
looking for lightening rods. Can you believe this? I don't
even write about this stuff to folks back home. All they say
to me is "well, you moved there". I am sure noone knows
where Michigan is on the maps even. I grew up thinking
it was under 6 feet of snow. Lumbermen. Dead cows and
junked cars and PCB in the Lakes and rivers, and
constant racial wars in Detroit.

Thanks for the welcome... lolol.
sheri

Sheri, OH MY and you moved here lol, sorry couldn't resist that, I live just about 13 miles north of the Ohio State Line from I-75 and about 45/50 miles from Detroit. So we get the storms and the snow here in my little part of Mi. but nothing compared to what they get up north... Sometimes we don't get alot of snow until Jan and Feb... Michigan winters vary from year to year, you never know what to expect, you just have to be prepared :o)

Sarv we still haven't got frost here yet, but I was told we are in for rain with snow mixed in with it for Tuesday and Wednesday (yuck) I just am not ready for winter, altho I am excited to start WSing lol... It is just so hard to believe it is October already...

Connie

Wiggly- hang in there...we'll get you thru!! It has been different year here- hot , no rain, then gloomy and tons of rain. One thing about Michigan is that you never get bored - there is alway something keep you going. Those Jap Beet. were a pain in the patootie this year - would you believe I am still finding them!! Also the skunks/coons are digging up the lawn looking for the grubs. Oh woe is me...

Time to get back in the garden before the dreaded "s" words goes into motion. Have you heard the weather report for Thurs and Friday? Yikes!!

I still have got mulch to put around a few things dh transplanted, and a few trees. Well back to work (yuck) or I should say cleaning...

Connie

Connie- what is Wsing? Is that WaterSkiing? Do you
water ski in the winter on these lakes here? I am sooooooo
confused!

I just ordered about a $100 bucks of stinking roses from
The Garlic Farm. I am trying to grow garlic on this farm
here, and so far, its been garlic bulbs for Gnomes they
are so small....

DH is going to bring home some wood this week, and
build me some above ground planting beds. They have
to be about 2 feet high with a sitting shelf top. I cannot
get down to the ground anymore. Nor can I get up. This
is Gods revenge on me for laughing and making fun of
the old timers on the commercials "I've fallen, and I can't
get up". Never thought it would happen to me. Arggh.

Why cant the ground be 3 feet high? Easy to weed and
pick and fiddle with.

I am biting fingernails over the coming weather this
week. We don't have any wood in for wood stove yet.
We need for the leaves to fall before we cut the dead
ones down and everything here is still green and lush.
Well, maybe I exaggerate a little bit. Olive green and
limp would be more like it.

I can feel the earth here getting ready for the snow.
Its like it is bracing itself, all the energy has gone
down below. Weird!

Bread baking and sewing day for me.
sheri

I'm out to dig the rest of the dahlias today. It is so much easier to dig them when they are not a mess of slime - plus I can identify what they are as they still have their blooms!!

WigP. - I hear ya about the can't get up or down anymore. If I get down, I have to grunt and groan to get up again - then stand a minute and get my breath!! I was doing my dahlia cutting up sitting on the cement - man did I pay for that the next day. Now I've set up a table in the garage...much better.

Well, time is a wasting and it will be snowing on Thursday - major ugh.

sarv shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh on the "S" word :o)

Wigglypaw, WSing Winter Sowing :o)

I cant believe summer is gone and the long cold months of winter are on our doorsteps. I am NOT ready yet!
I still want to can some more mators and i have to clean the garage and the greenhouse(thats warm) and put away lots of stuff. Im still sanding on my camaro and getting that ready to paint. Where did the time go? I sure hope ther is an Indian summer still to come-and the sooner the better!

This winter im going to try and sell stuff on ebay and maybe tinkers auction site-I have to get rid of alot of this stuff we have accumilated over the yrs-would love to move out and back in just to clean the clutter-LOL

Here come those heating bills!! ahhhhhhhh

At least i have the Tigerz to cheer for right now :) and Dale Jr!!! Go tigz and #8!

they say a mild winter-but when are they ever RIGHT? whaaaaaaaaaaan

I haven't finished all my fall chores. Hubby and I did get the garage cleaned out this past weekend so I can get my van and his truck in there for winter. I still have my statuary to put up and I'd like to get more leaves up and put into the veggie garden area. I had hoped to get it turned under. Our pole barn is a mess and needs cleaning out but we're waiting for our son to finish his pole barn so he can get all his stuff out of ours. I am just not ready for winter yet............too much to do. I still have three pots of mums to get in the ground. Sheesh!

I have a feeling that we are going to have a early winter and none of my chores will get finished. :(

Go Tigers!!!

Brenda

I have not got all my chores done either. Seems like the cold came upon us early this year. I did get a little mulch spread out last weekend. We still haven't had a real hard freeze here and I am still picking half ripe tomatoes and bringing them indoors to ripen.