I don’t know about the rest of you, but my yard is a mess. What with the leaves falling and stuff slowly dying around me, I can’t seem to catch up. I bring these beautiful pansies home in an effort to make things nice for the winter, but something always happens and they end up sitting under a tree in the flats they came home in. Of course, this is wonderful for the squirrels because they don’t have to work as hard to get to them, but it’s a constant reminder to me that I need to get busy. Not only that, but I live with my mother (that’s another story!) and she has all day to look outside and take notes on what I need to do. Christmas is right around the corner, so you have to get the yard looking wonderful before the relatives you haven’t seen in a year show up and start inspecting everything to see how lazy you’ve been since they last saw you.
I think the best way to start is pull up all of the dead stuff and actually take it to the trash. I know there is going to be some raking involved to get to where I want to plant, but it seems like a waste of time because I’ll end up covered with falling leaves before I get through. Oh well, I can always turn them over in the soil for mulch. Once I get everything planted, I’ll have to make a decision about which mulch I want to use. People tend to only mulch in the spring to make their yard look good, but it’s very important to mulch in the winter, too. One thing I have learned about mulch is that “soil conditioner” we have in a 2 c.f. bag is wonderful for two reasons. One, it is a pretty color and makes the area very attractive, and two, over time it works its way into the soil and helps break down some of this wonderful Greensboro red clay. Of course, whether you prefer nuggets or pine needles, all of it will work.
And last, but certainly not the least important, I have to mention the squirrels. I know, you don’t care if they all move to Alaska and take up residence, because then they would quit digging in your flowers and eating all of your bird seed. But we have to take into account the fact they are hungry this year because their food supply is very limited. Everyone I’ve talked to says they don’t have many acorns on their trees, and the pecan trees at my house aren’t bearing at all. I know pecan trees do have years where they don’t produce, but acorn trees? It usually sounds like a turkey shoot when they start falling around my house and here at work, but this year has been relatively quiet. Whether it was last year’s drought or a late freeze, the squirrels have been left “nutless” and we do need to feed them. I didn’t know squirrels ate bread until I saw one racing across the parking lot the other morning with a whole biscuit in his mouth, but I guess when you’re hungry, you’ll eat anything. So the next time you cuss the squirrels for eating your bird seed, please remember they are desperate for something to eat. So in keeping with the Christmas spirit, you might think about putting some sunflower seeds and peanuts out for them to eat. Maybe I need to investigate whether they like fruit cake. That would sure answer that age old question of what to do with it!