• 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

How did we get to “compromise” so quickly?

November 6, 2017 By Carol Michel 5 Comments

I wonder how we got to “compromise” in the fall garden so quickly?

I blame the unusual summery days of October when warmer than normal temperatures lulled me into believing there was a lot of time before winter.  To keep that sun out of my eyes, I put my head in the proverbial sand and lazed about as though I had endless time to do fall clean up.

Now it is November, and the weather is decidedly seasonal. Cloudy, rainy and cold. Not one bit hospitable for a gardener who wants to savor the moment.

I’m watching all my plans for a slow, methodical, leisurely clean up of the garden get crunched into a fast, chaotic, hurried spit & shine sprint through the garden.

I have to be strategic about fall clean up now. And I’m going to have to make some compromises along the way, all the while wondering how did we get to compromise so quickly?

I won’t compromise on spring flowering bulbs, though,  because I did plant most of the ones I bought, but if I was going to compromise, I might throw the bulbs in an old black plastic pot of potting soil and shove that in a cold spot, then bring it out in early spring to add some color in a few spots.

I won’t compromise on planting trees and shrubs because this is actually a good time to plant them around here. And they are on sale in many garden centers.

I won’t compromise on weed clean up because that’s just asking for trouble in the spring.

I’ll keep mowing and mulching leaves as weather permits, too, because I like doing that.

I’ll probably leave some perennials standing through the winter, but that’s actually supposed to be better for the insects that chose to overwinter in and on those stalks.  I guess that’s a good compromise to make.

I’ll also cover and protect the patio furniture and garden ornaments that would crumble under the first snowfall.  I don’t want to waste the good money I spent on those things.

Hmmm… looks like I’m not having to make as many compromises as I thought. Maybe I have more time than I realize?

Yes, plenty of time to do some garden clean up. It’s only early November, right?

SaveSave

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: fall, gardening

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. growingagardenindavis says

    November 6, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    Part of that waiting for me is the refusal to admit winter is coming until there is no doubt it is here. I have more succulents to move and need to make myself do it. If I compromise on that they will probably end up dead…

    Reply
  2. Alyse Lansing says

    November 6, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    You are singing my tune! Good writing. Looking forward to reading more. (I'm a new-ish blogger and SLOWLY getting used to following feeds on my reader 😀 )

    Compromises. Oy! (Thanks for the change of word, away from "procrastinate"!)
    Perhaps what I compromise most on is planting; I end up overwinter too much in pots. But they usually survive, which is probably the reason I don't get to them…less of a "deadline." What I compromise LEAST on is getting leaves off the lawn, as they will destroy it. That is a "drop dead deadline," so I suppose that's why it gets done! And leaving leaves in the beds is good for the soil and plants, so just the lawn gets done (which also makes the chore less daunting). It's easy to mow the leaves IF YOU CATCH THEM EARLY ENOUGH. Another reason that it's an urgent deadline. It considerably SAVES time, by mowing and bagging the chopped-up leaves. Shoot, thanks for the question, as it's helping me clarify this one!

    Your new fan,
    Alyse

    Reply
  3. Lisa at Greenbow says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:57 am

    This crazy weather has been coercing me to make compromises in the garden. Do I leave the canopy on the screen house to collapse under snow that could come any day or put it away even tho it is so warm. hmmm plants are testing the limits too.

    Reply
  4. Gingham Gardens says

    November 7, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    Ugh, I’m in Minnesota and I was out last week getting the last of my 300 bulbs in as the snow was falling. Not fun! Still need to get some shrubs planted and leaves raked…

    Reply
  5. Flower Alley says

    November 7, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    I feel your pain. It's been a fast transition from summer to fall in NC. Thankfully the first predicted freeze did not happen here. Still, it's been a fall frenzy to get everything done. No compromising.

    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 (3,048)
  • 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