Good weather for late fall chores in the yard

Dried toad lily blossoms

I was able to get some yard work done over the last few days. Some are not pleasant, but are needed. After all was done though, the yard was looking better and will mean less work for me in the spring to get the growing season started. The weather here has been off and on warmer than it should be, mixed with some pretty cold nights.

Ginger Lilies before cutting and bedding

The Ginger Lilies finally succumbed to the freezes and dropped and turned to much. While I try to mulch as much as I can back into the ground, these stalks are no match for the mower. They are extremely fibrous and will clog even the best mower. That said, I cut each one and hauled the remains to the back for further decomposition. I then spread copious amounts of hardwood mulch over the rhizomes to protect against total mushiness this winter when the colder than normal temps start after the new year.

Thick mulch will help protect the rhizomes from the worst of the freeze

I also took advantage of the weather to clean out the raised beds of all the spent veggies and herbs from this year. The soil is looking good and I will add some new ingredients in the spring prior to planting. The Thyme took a hit during the summer, resulting in a half death, but the other half should make it through the winter just fine. My Fennel, which was this year about 5 or so years old, finally died. I'll plant some more in the spring, to help entice the Swallowtails to lay their eggs once more.

While doing the cleanup, I noticed that one of the boards of the raised beds was split. I will have to replace that board in the spring, to get it ready for next years crop.

Raised vegetable bed before cleanup.

Sorry looking herb bed before cleanup. Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano and Chives are all still doing well.

After cleanup of one bed. This Bonsai will winter here with mulch around the pot.

Split boards will be replaced in the spring

The soil in these beds is extremely rich and you can sink your hands in at any time without using a tool. It is a mixture of screened topsoil, manure, peat moss, and our own compost mix from the back. I don't really ever use fertilizer, other than compost tea.