There are now a zillion minor (small) bulbs planted in the peony bed. The vision has been to see color in that bed first thing come breakup. The view is from the living room window and will be appreciated each and every time we take a peek next spring. When the peonies are pushing up red shoots and not much else can be seen, there will be blooms from these hardy lovelies.
I planted the usuals: chionodoxa, puschkinia, muscari (armeniacum), iris reticulata, narcissus (minnow and sun disc) and scilla siberica. I dug shallow holes and clustered the bulbs, then covered them with dirt. I did not use bulb food. My reasoning on this is that the bulb is the food. I do sprinkle bulb food on bulbs as soon as they finish blooming. The soil is excellent and so much can be said for good soil feeding the plant. The drainage is also excellent. If you do not have drainage, think again before you plant, there is nothing unhappier than a rotting bulb.
Unfortunately I had to go to Anchorage to find what I wanted. Wagon Wheel stocks the tried and true tulips and daffodils; Fritz Creek Perennial Nursery closed early this year; Trinity Nursery is closed; Kenai River Nursery did not have what I wanted; and I failed to make a bulb order from my faithful catalogs. So I was stuck. Off to Anchorage I went and, I must admit, that I go straight for Alaska Mill and Feed. I know that I can get everything I want at any of the box stores in Anchorage, but I just can't bring myself to drop my cash in one of them. Alaska Mill and Feed has been around for as long as I can remember and is still Alaska owned. That's where my money goes when it can't stay in Homer. Now you know.
The day for bulb planting could not have been more perfect. The rain held off and the breeze kept the bugs at bay. There was a fresh apple pie from Lisa Whip's apples on the counter and a longtime friend, Shelley, knowing that we are currently without a truck, was kind enough to deliver a load of her horses' manure just as I was finishing the bulbs. What a lovely day.
The greenhouse is in the process of shutting down. Everything in there has run its course. We are emptying the bins and washing them and the walls. I use Pledge on the walls. I know that seems strange but it was recommended at one point and I tried it and it worked so wonderfully that I have kept at it. There is nothing like clean greenhouse walls for the coming season. What good is a greenhouse that the sunlight cannot penetrate because of the dirt? Once the walls are done and the floor is swept and all things put in order, the clean bins are put back in and filled with compost, ready for the spring planting.
I pulled the corn stalks and have them arranged in a cedar planter on the covered porch for a touch of fall decoration. What a year for corn.
The last of the excellent onions, Coppa, that John Reid at Reid's Greenhouse recommended, are hung to dry. We are shredding everything we can get our hands on and throwing it on the newest compost pile.
Remember to scatter bone meal along the drip line of your peonies and when they finally die back, cut down the foliage and burn it.
Be sure to rake up the leaves under your currants and gooseberries if they were attacked by the currantworm this summer. Removing the leaf litter will go a long way in thwarting these nasties. Be sure to burn the leaves because this is where the pupae will overwinter.
I dug up herbs and am slowly introducing them to my kitchen. There really is nothing like fresh herbs on the kitchen windowsill all winter long. They really do last a good long time, the rosemary is three years old, it just moves from kitchen to greenhouse to deck to kitchen. Works quite nicely. Look for aphids on any plants that you bring into the house. A good blast with the hose will knock them down and out.
Bring in your fuchsia and geraniums, again, introduce them gradually to central heating. Store them a cool, dry, dark room; an unheated garage is ideal. Water them a bit come winter.
Get your tools in order. Clean them, sand the handles, sharpen the blades and oil the whole tool. There is nothing so pleasant as a well cared for hand tool. Take a good look at your motorized tools as well. Putting them away clean is a wonderful thing.
Get your journal caught up. I need to make a note that more sweetpeas are not necessarily better. They were lovely but I had way too many in the container.
I am trying to think ahead and get you as ready for the coming winter as possible. I have been writing this column every two weeks for 15 years. It is time for me to take the next three months off, at least. There are so many of you to thank for sharing your knowledge with me, for your patience and kindness. Chance encounters with you readers has always been interesting. Keep sharing your gardening experiences with each other. Remember that you garden for yourself, that there is no style that you must conform to, that there is no competition. There is the joy, the sense of personal accomplishment, the peace. Thank you.
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