Signs of the end of the fall season…

Leaves on the ground instead of on the trees. Oh, and all different colors, too. Though the changing of leaf color was late, it is as brilliant a fall as I can remember.

Saffron crocuses in bloom.  I would like to thank American Meadows for sending me a generous helping of saffron crocus corms. I planted some in the front garden so the neighbors who walk by would see them and think, “She has some mad gardening skills, that one. Look, she made crocuses bloom in the fall.”

I haven’t talked to any neighbors yet to see if they noticed the blooms. And just in case one of those neighbors recognized these as saffron crocuses and tried to steal my saffron, I plucked all the stamens already.

I should look up recipes that call for saffron, now that I have a little pile of this spice, the most expensive spice in the world.

I’ve been mowing up leaves and putting them on the vegetable garden. The other day when I was mowing, I mowed through some hidden dog poo and it was a smelly mess all over the front mower wheels. Ick. I think I know which neighbor didn’t clean up after his dog. Will I seek revenge? No. Absolutely not. Always take the high road.

Another sure sign of the end of the fall season… (you notice I don’t say the end of the gardening season. I am intent on year-round gardening so there is no end to a gardening season. I’m just moving operations indoors for the winter)… what was that other sure sign of the end of the fall season?

I put out the heated birdbath, but I haven’t plugged it in yet. But I probably will have to soon since they are forecasting a wintry mix for Friday.  I also started feeding the birds again. I had stopped for the summer because the raccoons were just too pesky trying to get to the feeders. I figured if they didn’t find food, they would leave, at least for a while until they discovered it again.

Who am I kidding? I could have kept feeding the birds in front all summer because the raccoons were in the back feasting on my sweet corn, again.

Those are the signs of the end of the fall season, so far.  I still have some garden projects to do outside so I hope there are more sunny days ahead. I won’t even mind if they are cold, sunny days. I can dress for that. I just hope the ground doesn’t freeze before I have a chance to do some more weeding.

Always the weeding.

Some other projects you might be interested in.

I’m working on a podcast series with Dee Nash from Red Dirt Ramblings! We are excited to soon be publishing a 20 minute or so podcast once a week. We call ourselves The Gardenangelists. Search for us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I’ll let you know when the first podcast is live.

I’m working on the final edits for my third book of humorous and light-hearted essays on gardening. Seeded and Sodded:  Thoughts from a Gardening Life should be out in early spring and will be the third and final book in my trilogy of humorous essays on gardening.

Would you like a signed copy of either or both of my other books, Potted and Pruned: Living a Gardening Life or Homegrown and Handpicked: A Year in a Gardening Life? Click on the link to either book on the sidebar to go to my online store to order your copies.  Enter discount code FREESHIP and I’ll pay the postage. U.S. only because it costs a lot to ship books to Canada and Europe.

I will also be at the Holiday Authors Fair at the Indiana Historical Society on December 1st. Come see me and buy some books. No admission charge on that day and you can also see the Festival of Trees and meet Santa Claus himself. A great way to spend an afternoon.