Putting the Garden to Rest

The leaves are falling. I'm getting ready to buy straw to lay on the beds. Most of the vegetables have been pulled up and the garden is turned over. I'm clipping back perennials and doing some last bits of pruning on the bushes. Winter is on its way. Every year at this time, I reflect on my garden accomplishments of the past year.

I filled in some holes in the garden with new perennials. This will be a main focus next season as well. I moved my vegetable garden, but I won't know if this was an accomplishment until next year. The vegetables were sparse and tasteless. Was this due to the new location or the odd cool and rainy weather we had? I built a "fairy garden" with my daughter and the fairies brought us two presents -- a smooth pink marble and a small beaded necklace. (The excitement was palpable when my daughter discovered the gifts. I would say that building her love for the magic of nature is a HUGE accomplishment.) I moved a few bushes and grasses, making room for more healthy growth. I added a new garden that will eventually serve as a grand entrance to my back yard...at least that's how I envision it. And yes, I can't forget...I finally figured out how to successfully cultivate compost. But... I guess my biggest garden accomplishment was out of the garden. I finally published the garden book I've been working on for a year and a half.

So, do the accomplishments outweigh what didn't get done? I haven't finished the garden path I started to my daughter's reading garden two years ago. I have piles of garden rejects -- twigs and branches, whole trees, and other scraps -- that remain behind numerous garden beds, creating an eye sore. (Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised next year and have a great supply of compost beneath the brush!) A tree is falling down in my woods. I didn't even know where to begin with that and hope that maybe it's really on my neighbor's side and not mine. I look forward to watching the snow drip from it. The invasive weed I hoped was eradicated last year was back this year. I didn't give it as much attention is I ought to have and fear that it will be back in full force next season.

A gardener's work is never done, but now it is time to put it all to bed. In another couple of months I'll begin puring through catalogs again, making sure I've got all my notes about the gardens in order, and dream of new projects.