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It is exhilarating to get out of the house while the turkey is steaming up the kitchen, even for just 10 minutes. If you look around your garden, you may see something still green or even blooming. My honeysuckle has some color. I just found packets of seeds I want to sow before the snow falls (lupine and wild native flowers). I also have a small bag of bulbs I can get into the ground while the soil is warm enough to dig in. There is a special rose I want to take a cutting from and start in pots. These are all the good excuses I conjure up just to stay outside a little bit longer. The fresh air is so good.
Here are some jobs for you to close out the month of November:
Try planting paper white narcissus for indoor fragrant enjoyment. The Marblehead Garden Center has them inside, just ask. You can plant them in almost any small pot or vessel. Toss in some soil, or not. Sometimes, I use polished stones for a clean look. If you use soil, make sure your vessel has a hole for drainage. If you use stones, you don’t need a drain hole because the water will make a mess and run straight through. Place bulbs tips up on top of an inch of soil or stones in the container, then add a little more soil or stones. It is not necessary to cover the bulbs completely, you are only weighting them down a bit. Water just a little less than 1/2 inch from the bottom of the container. Bulbs do not like to be sitting in water. The main idea of the soil and stones are to give the bulbs an anchor for their roots. After watering put in a dark cool place for a few weeks, and presto, when the green stems start to pop out 3-4” tall, put them where you can enjoy them. I like to place my paper whites around my fireplace when a fire is not lit or a north-facing window. Avoid placing them next to a radiator. Bulbs like to be chilly. When bulbs start to get tall, I tie an extra Christmas ribbon around them and lean them against a wall.
Take your garden tools like pruners, hedge trimmers and lawn mower blade to have them sharpened. I use Ceramaloy Carbide Sharpening Co., 59 Bridge Street, Salem, 978-745-1248, call for hours. Even better, ask Santa to give you new tools. The Japanese ARS pruners are my favorite and will fit nicely in your stocking (Warning: these are as sharp as they get, think Samurai sharp and full disclosure, this link gives me Amazon credit.)
For the hardest job of them all … organize the garage! This job is a real struggle for me. But the best part is how good I feel when it is done and you will feel good too. It is great to finally know where everything is and have it all ready for you for the New Year. The practical and best way to accomplish this job is to completely empty the garage or shed (if you are lucky to have one.) Then reorganize in order of what you will need over the next 3-6 months. For example: closest at hand will be the bird seed, shovel, pruners, trimmers, seed supplies like trays and containers. Make it all easy to get to on a cold winter’s day. Over the years, I have been so fortunate to have my dear husband set up a potting area and shelves and hooks just for my gardening implements and lighting, loads of lighting. If you can get someone handy to do this, it is better than 10 dozen roses.
This time of the year my blueberry bushes are the prettiest red and gold leafed bushes around, the autumn colors are magnificent. Blueberry bushes provide a real four-season show, next it will give us red stems which look great against the snow or foundation. In spring, well, just you wait and see… out of nowhere pop hundreds of tiny, elegant, bell-shaped flowers (some pink, some white) all glowing promises of what is it to come. BERRIES! In the summer each flower turns into a blueberry in a variety of flavors. You can grow them too, if you are already growing evergreens in your yard, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, yews, boxwoods or hollies then chances are good that you have the right conditions to grow blueberries. They love acidic soil just like the evergreens and do not require full sun. I started to grow blueberries in big plastic containers before I knew I would fall in love with them. I recommend buying two different varieties for cross-pollination. Elliot and Chandler are especially good blueberry varieties for starters. I have integrated blueberry bushes everywhere in my yard for show and eat. They make an excellent hedge. My dog Digby likes to eat the berries right off the bushes.
Remember to visit the King Hooper Mansion on Dec. 6 and 7 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) which will be transformed by all the local garden clubs. Come step into a Christmas card, where the 18th century mansion’s fireplace mantels will be dressed to the nines by our very own garden clubs. It is a free event.
Bonus: Quick and high quality video of me planting bulbs in the ground. It is super easy and fun to do while the house is full of people.
