Fall Cleanup

This week I have been trying to get my fall work completed as we only have five more days  before departing to the south. I really have a problem with growing old as it takes me so much longer to do half as much I just marvel at what I did when I was 65.

The rhubarb had to be helped this year as it was a dry one so more cow manure and littler TLC to bring us a good crop next year.All of our fruit trees needed pruning and I do French pruning which means prune when they need it. Our pear tree is such a fast grower that I prune almost a third every year. The rest are pruned basically to make a path through to the back yard.

Our English Ivy has taken a hold and talk about stubborn to clean up. The Boston Ivy is beautiful in the fall with it's brilliant red colour but it too may be problems if not controlled. Now the bad part when you have to cut the flowers off and put them in the compost. This year the flowers were stressed during the summer heat but really rebounded with the fall cool temperatures.

All during my cleanup I have a pet Chipmunk who follows me around and makes a racket every time I cut a flower. He knows  it is fall and soon winter. We make sure he has a good store of peanuts  for the winter. I keep all of our hanging baskets and geraniums in our garage and they last for years.

This fall I am specially careful with my winter prep as I will pay the price next spring if I do not. I hope I will not get in trouble for working on Sunday as we as kids were never permitted to do much on Sunday except go to church.