 I'm Thankful for Help With Fall Cleanup
As I struggle to get all the fall garden chores done before the snow flies--raking leaves, cutting back perennials, draining hoses, planting bulbs, putting the water garden to bed--I have to pause for a moment and thank one of my best garden helpers: Will
At age 16, my tall skinny son has somehow managed to avoid the worst of adolescence. He's still sweet, good-humored, and--get this--helpful! Granted, he comes up with some pretty byzantine arguments about why we shouldn't mow the lawn or rake the leaves. But in the end, with minimal nagging and only two or three reminders, he mows the lawn every week, hauls brush, deadheads, cuts back, weeds, and harvests produce. He's shown here collecting brush from a pruning project last week.
He does it so uncomplainingly (most times), that I actually feel a twinge of guilt for forcing him to assist in my quixotic quest for a perfectly maintained garden. But I grew up on a farm, and I have firm, old-fashioned beliefs about kids and chores.
It must be working, right? He's turning out to be a terrific kid!
With motherly appreciation,
Veronica Lorson Fowler P.S. For a complete, Iowa-friendly list of fall cleanup chores (no Will, I am not going to print this and stick it on the fridge for you to do!), click here. Photo by Russ Hoffman |
Arrangement of the Month
Cut flowers are lovely, but a wonderful seasonal alternative is to snip some branches from a colorful tree. Shown here is serviceberry, but you can cut from just about any tree or shrub.
Be sure to put branches in a vase of water to help them last longer (this arrangements is going strong 1 week later). And I like to also to spritz them with hairspray, especially on the back of the leaves where they join the branch, to help them stay on longer. This arrangement makes me
happy every time I look at it!
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My Makeshift Pickup in a Box
 I wish I had a pickup to haul brush in, especially with the City of Ames offering several free yard waste days at a local composting site. So this fall I struck upon something almost as good I got a large box (places that sell appliances sometimes will give them to you for no charge) and loaded it up with trimmings from a pruning project and leaves. The box juuuuust fit into the back of my SUV, and didn't make a mess. Another alternative would be to wrap up the waste in a tarp, but it would be less tidy. You could also use several not-as-large boxes, or invest $30 or so on a collapsible, soft-sided dumpster.
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To Cut Back or Not to Cut Back
 This time of year, that is indeed the question: Do you cut back perennials in the fall or in the spring? We've been having some back and forth on The Iowa Gardener Facebook page on this (check out the conversation by clicking here; or friend us if you haven't already!).
There are two schools of thought, both with their advantages and disadvantages.
The Cut Back in Spring School feels that plants do better with more plant material on top of them to protect them, and like that the brush protects wildlife and beneficial insects. Seedheads also provide food for birds. And some perennials left standing are pretty in winter.
The Cut Back in Fall School would rather get the cleanup done now instead of spring when there's so much to do in the garden. They also feel that leaving plant material around can harbor disease pathogens and problem insects and wildlife. Also, in the view of some, standing plants can look messy when left all winter long.
Me, I like to cut back most of it in the fall. But I leave plants that I think are pretty during the winter (mainly ornamental grasses and tall sedums). And I definitely cut back those plants that harbor diseases easily, such as tall phlox, asters, and bee-balm.
Click here for more info on cutting back perennials (or not) in the fall.
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Garden Quote
"A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them."
- Liberty Hyde Bailey,
cofounder of American Society for Horticultural Science
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November
Monthly To-Do
Click here for a complete list of fall garden clean-up chores for Iowa.
 It's still dry! Be sure to water all smaller trees and shrubs and new plantings so they go into winter strong and hydrated.
Dig up and store indoors any tender bulbs, such as gladiolus, cannas, dahlias, and caladiums, that you want to store over the winter.
Empty all pots and store indoors for the winter. In Iowa's harsh winters, even plastic containers will crack and clay pots will definitely shatter.
If you have any newly planted trees, especially fruit trees, wrap them with a protective tree wrap now. It prevents sun scald and also prevents rabbits and rodents from nibbling the tasty bark. Remove in spring.
If you want to be safe, wrap boxwood and any other borderline-hardy evergreens to Iowa in burlap. It's a good idea also to wrap any new evergreens that you planted earlier this year. This will prevent winter burn, which can disfigure the plant badly enough you have to dig it up or cut it down.
Perennials and strawberries do best with 1 to 4 inches of a loose, removable mulch over and/or around them. Leaves chopped by running a mower over them are perfect.
Protect roses. Mound all but rugosa roses around the base with 8 to 12 inches of compost or rich, dark soil to protect the bud union (right above the roots) from winter cold. Hybrid teas, grandiflora, and floribunda roses--the least cold-hardy types--are more likely to survive the winter if you also wrap their stems in burlap and twine. Click here for more into on types of roses for Iowa
Plant spring-blooming bulbs as long as the soil isn't frozen. Water well after planting.
Force bulbs now, as desired.
Rake leaves as needed. Keep them off the grass--they can suffocate it. Running the mower over leaves to chop them reduces their volume and makes perfect compost material.
After the frost, do one final mowing. Then run the mower until the gas tank is empty to store it for winter.
Maintain your mower and sharpen the blade.
Detach garden hoses or your faucet may freeze and damage pipes. Drain the hoses and store in the garage or other sheltered place.
For our printable monthly to-do lists and handy garden references, click here.
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Editor's Choice
Garden Events
Iowa Wreath-Making Workshops
I love these! Have a fun, relaxing time learning how to make a personalized, beautiful natural wreath usually for less than the price of premade!
If you don't see a class near you listed below, Google it. There are lots!
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