10 November 2007

Fall cleanup of sorts..


As many of you know, by some inscrutable quirk, my blog was chosen a couple of weeks ago to be the Blog of Note for Blogger; there's a new one each day, and I've looked at some interesting ones in the past by sampling the Blog of Note. Several people have said that Blogger hasn't paid a lot of attention to gardening blogs by times, and this got me wondering, because there are some really, REALLY terrific blogs out there, full of great information, photos, suggestions...and just plain fun.

AS many of us do, I'm a firm believer in blogging karma, and in posting links of interest, including great gardening blogs. I have a number of them listed here, and know of two other options for gardeners looking for interesting blogs about our passion for planting. One of them is The Garden Blog Directory developed and maintained by our good friend Stuart at Gardening Tips n Ideas, which helps gardeners to find a blog in their general locale, be it province or state, country, or continent.

And another one, which I just learned about today, is a neat widget designed by Amy of Playing in the Dirt. Pop over to her website, pick up the code, and send her a note to tell her you've got the code and want to be added to the blogroll.

Autumn is a time for cleanup indoors as well as out. You'd never know that by looking at our house, but I am tidying up my blog (and the rest of the computer while I'm at it!) In an effort to make bloomingwriter easier to load and navigate, I've made a few changes to layout, including simply posting the names of blogs or websites rather than long descriptions. If they're here, I like them and recommend them, as simple as that. Perhaps I'll get a chance to write more glowing accounts about them, and I do try to offer shout-outs when possible. But of course this blog is something I do in my spare time, and as a fulltime freelance writer, there isn't always a lot of free time. I like the participatory nature of blogging, but sometimes there isn't time to answer all the comments either. When that happens, please know that I read them all, and respond whenever possible.


The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of work, weather and whimsy, and I've been as busy as that bee from earlier this summer. While I've said that the garden would get cleaned up "one bed at a time" and I'd be okay with that....there's still a lot to do and there are whispers of 'snow' in the forecast. But somehow, walking around the yard today with my noble assistant-cat Tigger, feeling the bite of a November wind, I could find no enthusiasm for digging in the frost-tipped soil. It was fun to see what was still flowering, and of course the question will be, "what will there be for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in just a few short days?" Good question! I have an idea, but you'll have to wait until then to find out. Above is what the front looked like today--with yellow corydalis still putting up its delightful flowers...


But what a difference four months makes! This image was from 15 July; in some ways that seems like yesterday, in others, like so very long ago. I take a lot of photos in my quest to become better at it, and also to hold plenty of images for various articles and of course for here; this of course means I have to keep them all organized in some sort of fashion. For the time being I'm still using iPhoto for a few thousand of them, and they sort by 'rolls', or downloads; it's fun to go back through the months and see the progression of growth, bloom...and now, senescence and death for some, dormancy for others. And others keep blooming long after they are 'supposed' to have finished. The one annual osteospermum that is still in a container continues to flower: I did try to get bud, flowers, and spent bloom into one shot, but couldn't do it...and wouldn't stage it. What you see with our garden is what you get. T'ain't perfect, but it makes us happy.

WE'll get back to the discussion on gardening magazines and books vs websites in coming days, but in the meantime....how is YOUR garden cleanup coming along? And for those of you enjoying spring in the southern Hemisphere, how is spring coming along?

8 comments:

  1. The only garden cleanup I've gotten done has been raking the zillions of leaves from my yard into the compost piles. For the most part, everything is still looking good. Once we get our first real freeze, it will definitely need to be cleaned up!

    I'm hoping I have a few blooms for Bloom Day as well. I have at least two reliable (if not exactly exciting) perennials blooming now, along with a few annuals. I'm just hoping they hold on until the 15th!

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  2. Thanks Jodi of the generous comments. I'm glad you like the Garden Blog Directory and am finding it useful. Its updated version is almost ready to go now as well so I hope that will be even more of an aid to garden bloggers.

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  3. Just yesterday I threw out my potted plants. Nothing was blooming except the bacopa.I didn't think it was worth keeping for bloom day, if it even lasted that long.

    I do most of my cleaning in spring. I keep after the leaves in the fall.

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  4. I am leaving most of the cleaning to the spring. I clean just that what is really necessary, like too much leaves on the lawn (smaller every year, as I am 'stealing it' bit by bit from my husband - he likes lawn much more). I like the ornaments of dead perennials and not cleaning too much is more eco-friendly.
    There is one more thing - to clean up in the spring is much more pleasurable in exactly the same temperatures. it is also much more warming the heart, as new growth and new life in the garden is getting closer.
    greetings,

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  5. Jodi: Kudos to you on the Blog of Note! As you know, I love your blog! I have been playing catch up what with the recent short travel and then internet trouble! I am anxious to hear how your watercolors are coming along! Someday, sometime I am going to try that!

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  6. I left the seedheads on my Purple Coneflowers so that the Finches could eat the seeds.I figured out how to plant things ut next year I'll need some advice on dividing plants.

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  7. Hi all you great gardeners...

    Colleen, I WISH I had those zillions of leaves to put in my compost---they all blow away (and I don't have that many large hardwoods right in the yard, they're all in the process of growing. I go leaf-napping from curbsides instead.

    Stuart, I'll look forward to your updated Blog Directory--it's been a real help in finding some of the great blogs I read faithfully.

    Lisa, isn't bacopa amazing in its flowering ability? I was bored by it until the plant breeders started developing different colours of flowers and foliage, but it really is a star performer. After yesterday, though it's destined for the compost.

    Ewa, good for you on claiming the lawn--there are many of us who are part of the 'take back the grass' conspiracy, turning it into interesting garden rather than just ol' grass!

    Layanee, thanks for the kudos, and I hope your net trouble is over. We have those hassles up here on our hill due to weather, sometimes. I'll give reports eventually on dabbling with paint.

    Larry, good for you on leaving the seedheads. Dividing perennials isn't too bad--just depends on what you're dividing, how and when. I'm sure you'll get plenty of supportive suggestions come spring--which seems a long way away right now....

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  8. I was pretty happy to see a gardening blog get a mention.

    I keep meaning to organise my blogroll into something easier LOL but its an ongoing thing.

    I'll bet the kitties like the flying flower display : ) .

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