There are Messes in My Garden

There are messes in my garden and someone needs to clean them up.

The corn stalks are still standing, though barely.  I would like to plant some garlic and shallots tomorrow where the corn was growing, but someone needs to clean up that mess first.

Corn is a heavy feeder so before I replant, I think I’ll mix a little organic fertilizer in the soil in that bed, just to be sure the poor garlic and shallots don’t starve.

There are piles of forks in the garden, too, leftover from when someone used them to build fortresses around the pepper plants and green bean rows to keep out the rabbits.

The fork fortress technique mostly works, but isn’t one hundred percent.  Nothing is really one hundred percent when it comes to keeping rabbits away. It’s best to use a variety of techniques, including a bit of wishful thinking and optimism, when trying to keep rabbits out of your garden.

And after they pick up that pile of forks, someone needs to pull all of these out of what was once a flourishing patch of green beans.

Those skeletonized plants are holding on to some dried beans, so maybe when someone cleans up the mess, they can pick some bean seeds, too.  I’ve always wanted to save dried beans. I think I have a good opportunity to do that this year.

Then someone needs to go right over to the okra patch and save some pods full of seeds of future fried okra.

Of course, if someone had not been so lazy last summer,  there wouldn’t be that many dried okra pods to pick now, but let’s not talk about that. I like the variety, though, so it is worth saving the seeds. I think it is ‘Emerald Green’, but may need to check my notes.

Someone needs to eventually cut back the Amsonia.

But they shouldn’t cut it back yet. It’s too pretty right now.  But thank goodness I cut it back earlier in the summer to remove the seed pods. Amsonia is a prolific self-sower and I know from experience its seedlings are not easy to pull out.  I think those seedling grow roots a foot deep before they ever grow leaves and reveal they are there.

Ditto the Alyssum.  Well, not really, ditto the Alyssum. This is a kinder and gentler self-sower, which is easy to pluck out if it comes out where you don’t want it.

But I usually find I want it where it comes up and want more, so I buy some every year.

There are other messes in my garden.

Just look at this compost bin, full of weeds, and even petunias plucked from containers to make way for pansies.

Someone should really start their fall clean up with these compost bins, to make room for more of the messes that are all over the garden.

Hmmm, I think the someone is me. I will clean it up, but only after I’ve planted some more bulbs.