• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Speaking
    • Upcoming Speaking Engagements
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Fall on a zipline toward winter

November 11, 2017 By Carol Michel 10 Comments

Gardening through this fall has been like being stuck at the top of a zip line. I just couldn’t get that thing, whatever it is called, engaged on the zip line, ready to go.

The temperatures were too warm, the sky was too blue, the leaves were still green.  So many excuses to put off fall clean up.

Then suddenly, that thing, whatever it is called, got engaged on the zip line and away I went, heading straight toward winter.

Now the temperatures are too cold, the sky is too gray, and the leaves are still falling. So many excuses not to get on with fall clean up.

I have no idea how to engage the brake on this thing on this imaginary zip line that I’m hanging on to for dear life, with fall and pretty leaves at the top and a big pile of wintry snow at the bottom.

I got a sudden jolt, though, on this zip line that is taking me from fall into winter when I saw the first blooms on a Christmas rose, Helleborus niger.

Is it any coincidence that my discovery of these Christmas rose blooms came on the same day I noticed a local restaurant had already plastered Christmas clingy things to their windows?  And yet their Halloween pumpkins were sitting on a counter still waiting to be stowed away for the year.

Just like my garden, where a pumpkin and all the containers full of now frost-blackened plants are still on the front porch waiting for me to put them away before winter.

If this wintry weather continues, I’ll have to switch from “putting them away before winter” to “putting them away before I bring out any Christmas decorations.”  I don’t have any control over the weather, but at least I have control over the Christmas decorations.

Except for the Christmas rose. I apparently have no control over it.

Merry Happy Fall Christmas Thanksgiving.  I’m free falling now on this zip line of fall garden clean up,  hoping there is still time for a soft landing before winter.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: fall, humor

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    November 11, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    My first Christmas rose bloomed October 13th.

    Reply
  2. Lea says

    November 11, 2017 at 3:23 pm

    I noticed that my Hellebores were putting up new green leaves. Seeing your blooms, I will keep a closer eye on mine.
    Have a wonderful week-end!

    Reply
  3. Margaret says

    November 11, 2017 at 3:35 pm

    Ha! That happens to me most every year – I put things off then realize that nice temps are coming to an end and it's a rushed panic to get everything done. I just about made it this year except for one task which also happens to be my least favourite – cleaning up all the seeding equipment/trays/cell packs. Now I'm waiting for next week when we will get a few days where it's actually above freezing 🙂

    Reply
  4. Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening says

    November 11, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    Colder temperatures really snuck up on us this year, and the hellebores have been showing blooms since the end of October. Mother Nature…slow it down!!!

    Reply
  5. Alana says

    November 11, 2017 at 9:13 pm

    We got our first frost, our first freeze, and our first snow all within a two day period. Brrrr. No way am I going out now to look at my Christmas rose.

    Reply
  6. Covegirl says

    November 12, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    Unfortunately, I did not bring any Hellabores to my new home. I will have to get some to plant in the spring!

    Reply
  7. Lisa at Greenbow says

    November 12, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    No hellebores blooming here. Mine bloom much later. The leaves are finally coming down though. Just in time for cold weather. Bah humbug.

    Reply
  8. MissPat says

    November 13, 2017 at 12:56 am

    I left for a nine day visit to two sets of grands in Houston (where the temps were in the mis to upper 80's everyday). When we left there hadn't been a killing frost. I got back to temps in the 20's and dead plants everywhere. Managed some clean-up the day after we returned, but then the snow and real cold decended. Hoping for at least one decent day to finish the absolutely necessary stuff.

    Reply
  9. GrannyRockStar says

    November 13, 2017 at 4:36 pm

    Love the way your mind works. Great analogy.

    Reply
  10. Rose says

    November 16, 2017 at 1:29 pm

    I love your analogy, Carol! That's exactly how I feel. I managed to plant all my bulbs by the end of October and then planned to do some garden clean-up. But suddenly winter has arrived, and I just want to stay inside. Looks like I might have twice as much to do next spring:)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,047)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT