I can sure stand a few months of days like today: high in the low 70's, and not a cloud in the sky. It was just perfect for working in the new greenhouse area after our morning homeschool co-op group meeting. I'm keeping a sharp eye out for poison ivy, now that I'm mostly healed from a very bad rash on my right arm. The poison ivy plants I "painted" with RoundUp a few days ago have succumbed... but there are still a very few to be treated. Guess I'll have to get my bottle back out tomorrow. I'm anxious to finish cleaning out the second greenhouse area so that we can get it covered with plastic before the weather gets cold, which can happen very suddenly here. Saturday night was forecast to be one of those early frost nights, so I picked the few remaining green beans & cucumbers from the veggie garden. But evidently it didn't go below 40* that night, thank goodness. We're not forecast to have another such cold night for a week or more now.
I also harvested the last of the green beans and 3 cucumbers from the sad remains of the veggie garden. Next year the veggies get planted a *lot* earlier, no matter whether I think there is still danger of frost! I'm also going to try to thin out the woodland that lies to the south of the veggie garden and shades it for much of the growing season.
Oh my, the temperature sure dropped in a hurry. Yesterday I had to rush to close up the greenhouse ends and place the min-max thermometers so I can monitor the greenhouse temperatures. This afternoon, after Jordan's soccer game in Tullahoma, I spent a couple hours transporting the cold-sensitive plants to their winter quarters in the house. I'm so thankful for the rack I was blessed with. Now I have 9 plants hanging in my living room and about as many in the dining room, as well as several large Schefflera. Those are the only 2 large windows that get sunshine for most of the day during winter.
Fall is certainly in the air. It's never been my favorite time of year, and I thought that was because I have to watch everything die, or at least go to sleep for several months. But I'm coming to realize that a contributing factor to my feelings about fall is my terrible seasonal allergy. With the help of three types of homeopathic medications, I will survive. But today was worth all the stuffy nose and hurting eyes. What a beautiful day! I'm thankful I was able to work outside for a couple of hours, watering the greenhouse plants and dabbing Round-Up on my arch-nemisis, the half-dozen poison ivy plants which are trying to take over the second greenhouse.
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AuthorI'm finally putting my college training of (several) years ago to work! I wanted a combined degree in horticulture and journalism so I could write about the plants I grew, and here I am! Archives
November 2011
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