Meanwhile in the garden....

I planted a fall crop of lettuce and it's still thriving all cozy under a hoop house. I'm thankful to have some fresh winter greens in January.

And a nice pile of leaf mulch, the stuff I yearn for, is decomposing nicely under a canopy of fir trees. When ever I poke at the pile, the wonderful earthy aroma delights my senses. It will make a nice spring mulch in my perennial beds. Did I tell you I found the mother load?

Every fall, when I'm in town on errands, I keep my eye open for a nice stash of leaves. Sure enough I found my booty, one city block long of rich mulchy goodness. And just in time as the city was scheduled for collecting leaves to take to their composting facility. The finished compost is then sold back to consumers at a premium.

An hour later, I got it all in the bag!

A stop at Dutch bros, then heading west of town, I traveled and sipped a long and leisurely country road home.

Meanwhile, back home.....

Pomegranates line the mantle. Tell me this isn't peculiar to you cause it makes perfect sense to me.

~Winter greetings from the cottage~

Leaving Me Lonely

I remember all to well when we were in the thick of two consecutive remodels the twinge of jealousy and frustration at seeing the lush and bountiful gardens on my favorite blogs. Seriously, the busier I stayed sanding priming and painting woodwork, the little time it left me for perusing all the virtual gardens that left me feeling lonely for one small red tomato to call my own.

As I have been enjoying a beautiful vegetable garden this summer those thoughts are long behind me now. It occurred to me though that there just might be folks out there experiencing my circumstance of being temporarily gardenless. But looky here, I've got a plan for you. A few things to do while your expecting. Next years garden that is!

In anticipation of a fruitful and healthy garden for next year, build or manage your compost system. I hope the following posts will energize you. Composting. Composting Revisited.

Bare ground is a no-no. Don't abandon your garden completely but try this composting in place method to keep weeds and unwanted vegetation at bay. Layer with newspaper (carbon) and top with grass clippings (nitrogen).

Gather all the leaves you can and stockpile them. Spread them on your garden in fall for a lovely earth enriching mulch. I toss on a few limbs too so my precious leaf mulch (it's what I yearn fer) doesn't up and blow away in windy weather.

Plant garlic for next years harvest and opt for growing a green manure crop as a living mulch to draw nutrients deep into the soil.

Get a jump start on next years plant selection. Seeds are usually discounted for clearance in the fall. Pick up a bunch of packets and check out my post on Wintersowing.

I hope your to do list keeps you busy and full of hope for a stunning garden in 2012!