Helen Chesnut: Fluffy leaves make mild perform of autumn job

I had decided in opposition to repeating a single of past autumn’s more intense jobs. A early morning of trudging up and down the avenue with bags of leaves piled in a wheelbarrow, and pushing loads of them uphill to a storage location at the again of the yard, just about did me in.

Then, in a mini-miracle of exceptional timing, an less complicated repetition of the same job fell into area. Betty, a neighbour two doorways from me on a 1-acre assets, has an immense maple tree with oversized leaves in the back back garden. That was where I collected leaves final 12 months.

This autumn, the leaves on that tree experienced not but started to drop at the beginning of November. Then, late on the early morning of Nov. 9, Betty called to explain to me that a significant batch of leaves, just fallen from the tree, have been light-weight and fluffy. And rain was predicted to get started that afternoon.

As it transpired, my gardening close friend Laurel was about to arrive at noon. I experienced told her my determination about the leaves. She had available to help.

Off we went, wheelbarrows, bags and rakes in tow. The recently fallen, dry leaves ended up a handle to scoop up. Pressed down and filled, the baggage remained light.

I now have six big baggage of compressed, total leaves. Laurel has taken two far more to run a mower above for me. That will generate a fantastic mulch for use subsequent year.

Emptied plots are typically covered by now with other leaves, straw and chopped plant squander, but I’ll shortly be topping the leaner mulch layers with some of the large maple leaves.

The bagged leaves will be valuable as perfectly for masking the root vegetables and tucking about and amongst leek and kale crops as tricky freezing weather is predicted..

The rest of the leaves will provide as moisture-retaining, soil-cooling mulches close to crops and between rows as the temperature starts heating up in spring and early summer time.

Yet another leafy bonanza. Immediately after getting rid of some of the summer’s leafy green greens to bunny-munching, I made a decision to try out for a nicely-secured slide salad yard.

I sowed flats of lettuce and curly endive indoors in August and transplanted in September, into two areas facing each and every other across a route separating vegetable plots.

As safety from both Bunny and cooling weather, I arranged the transplants for quick covering.

One particular plot of baby butterhead lettuces and miniature bronze romaines is included by a duration of light-weight plastic tunnelling over wire hoops.

I applied floating row include laid more than wire hoops for the other planting of endive, red lettuce and miniature eco-friendly romaine.

Mainly because sturdy supports hold up the coverings, as chilly weather ways I’ll be in a position to effortlessly safeguard the crops with further layers of protective resources.

Next calendar year. Since Bunny also ate most of the bush bean crops, I’ve begun getting ready additional critter-evidence protections to put in above and close to vulnerable plantings. I’ll be describing them up coming 7 days.

Garden Situations

Open up household and current market. Dinter Nursery, 2205 Phipps Rd. in Duncan, is internet hosting their annual Open up House and Neighborhood Makers Current market today (Saturday, Nov. 25). The nursery is open up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Makers Marketplace with area vendors will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The working day will attribute door prizes, regional are living and slash Xmas trees, wreaths and more. See facts and a record of neighborhood sellers at dinternursery.ca.

Rock gardening demonstration. The Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Yard Modern society (VIRAGS) is presently renovating the rock and alpine backyard, created by the society, in Beacon Hill Park. They are inviting the general public to notice and discover about the course of action of producing “crevice” gardens on Saturday, Dec. 2, setting up at 10 a.m. Find out about getting ready a ideal residence for plants in rocky areas. At planting time in the spring, the culture will keep yet another demonstration in celebration of this small gem of a yard.

Abkhazi Yard festive time. Commencing now (Saturday, Nov. 25) by way of to Sunday, Jan. 7, the Teahouse at Abkhazi Yard, 1964 Fairfield Rd. In Victoria, will be presenting a Festive High Tea.To steer clear of disappointment, make reservations at 778-265-6466. The Reward Shop, located at the Teahouse, characteristics neighborhood art, pottery, fabrics, jewelry, stationery and soaps. Backyard and Teahouse are open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Specifics and menus at abkhaziteahouse.com.

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