Fall Prep
I wanted to share a few garden tasks I’m doing this week to get ready for winter, especially since Northeast Ohio is anticipating its first snowfall in just a few days. We usually experience measurable snowfall by mid-November.
With the cold approaching, I’ve been diligently preparing the gardens by trimming back the grasses, iris, and hostas, conducting a final weeding, and raking out the leaves. These steps are crucial to ensure the plants’ survival during the winter.
I have a few pots on the back deck that I plan to leave as they are, since the hollyhocks and some others have seed pods. Hopefully, the winter birds will be able to use the seeds during the colder months.
My strategy for the geranium pots is to overwinter them in the sunroom, a method that was successful for me last year. I’m hopeful they’ll thrive and be ready to beautify the deck again come spring.
I also have a gorgeous yellow rose bush in a container on the back deck. I will wrap it in burlap and hide it in the arborvitae hedge alongside a potted linen rose. Last year, I put my pots in the garage for the winter, but unfortunately, they didn’t survive. This rose is hardy in my Zone 6a, but the back deck is too exposed to snow and wind, so I hope the evergreens will provide adequate shelter while allowing some sunlight and moisture through the winter. Fingers crossed!
Update
I’m excited to share an addition to the back garden that I’m very pleased with. After the kids moved out, we downsized, and now my home is a townhouse in a condo complex.
As you know, I have been struggling with a flagstone patio that was part of the back garden. The area is under the upper deck, and I could only manage to grow ferns there, so I had a local handyman install a stone patio. I originally wanted a concrete pad to join the existing back patio, but the contractor told me he couldn’t get concrete down to the back. I now know he lied and just wanted the job.
The patio looked lovely at first, but sadly, the stone setting never stayed in place; it washed out after each rain, leaving gaps between the stones. Every few weeks those gaps filled with weeds, requiring me to pull or spray them. I had to replace the fill three times at a cost of over $1,000 for time, supplies, and labor.
This summer, the lawn maintenance man suggested removing the stone patio and pouring a concrete pad to join the existing patio. He recommended a couple of companies that could do the work. I needed permission from the condo association, but I had no problem since they also disliked the weeds—smile!
Getting the old stones removed and the foundation redone for the concrete was a more significant job than I anticipated. It was messy, and we encountered a bit of a crisis during the process—I’ll update you on that in another post.
However, as you can see, the improvement is massive. Next year, I plan to paint the patios to achieve a color match.
I am so happy with my choice to go with a concrete patio. I’m not really looking forward to the upcoming weather, but the juncos have arrived, so it’s time to start winter prep. I’ll keep you posted as we continue to prepare for the snow.
