To-Do or Not To-Do
Yesterday I finished my last winter pots. Decorating, at least for my clients, is done.
So today I woke up with a wonderful sense of freedom. It was euphoria, really. No need to leave in the early morning darkness in a car fully-loaded with all manner of holiday decorations. I could sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Watch the sun rise. Enjoy the wood fire while I contemplated what to do for the day.
Which is what I am still doing. Hours later. In my pj’s.
Come to find out a day filled with free time and no agenda, rather than being liberating, is terrifying. I don’t know where to start. Should I organize the workshop which, over the last few weeks, has been as busy as the North Pole? Tables are piled high with ribbon, ornaments, and other crafty paraphernalia. God knows we could use a few elves down there to clean up the mess.
Maybe I could fill my own pots for the winter. This is the most wonderful time of the year, unless, of course, you are in the gardening business. Then I refer to it as “The cobbler’s children time of year.” My lights are not hung, the wreaths are not up and the tree is not decorated. An email from a kind neighbor the other day was ecstatic in her praise for surrounding neighbors and their beautiful lights and outdoor décor. No mention was made of the art of the stacked pumpkins still in my urns.
It’s kind of damp and cool out and I am still recovering from Monday’s full day spent outdoors in the snow/sleet/rain. Maybe I could stay in and do some office work. File receipts. When things are crazy lots can fall through the cracks and I should probably make sure that billing gets done while jobs are still fresh on my mind.
The coat closet is a disaster and has become a catch-all for anything people in my family do not want to put away. Which explains the yoga mat and watering can currently on the floor. With cold weather fast approaching I could organize it to make sure that orphan mittens find their match and each person’s winter accessories are in their individual bins.
Should I start work on my new PowerPoint lecture about designing gardens to be more pollinator-friendly? I have lots of great ideas and pictures that need pulling together.
I think today, the first day of vacation, I will end up doing none of the above. I need to learn how not to-do. I am going to enjoy another cup of coffee. Binge watch something on Netflix. Make a delicious dinner for the family that has lately subsisted on frozen burritos and take-out. And stay in my pajamas.
Life is good.
Are You Dressed for the Holidays?
It’s that time of year.
People are beginning to plan their holiday/winter containers.
I want to encourage you to not forget about your door.
After all, with the exception of Santa, it’s how most people enter your home. A wreath, or a beautiful door topper such as this, is a wonderful way to welcome friends and family while also continuing whatever theme you are doing in your pots.
Hug a Tree
Many gardeners are all abuzz about saving our pollinators. As a beekeeper, I am thrilled; this is a good thing. Even the big box stores have labels on some perennials that trumpet the cause. Just make sure you check the tags to confirm the plants have not been treated with neonicotinoids, a pesticide that spells death to bees.
And while many of us now understand the importance of milkweed it’s only the beginning. Protecting pollinators, which include bees, moths, butterflies, and bats, means more than planting a few pretty perennials.
According to entomologist, professor, and author Doug Tallamy, the top-ranked woody genus for pollinators is Oaks (Quercus), which support 534 species. The top-ranked herbaceous plant is Goldenrod (Solidago) which, in comparison, supports 114 species.
In other words, trees are very important to pollinator health; they provide most of the earliest food available in the spring.
Numbers don’t tell the whole story, however. Many butterflies, moths, and native bees require a specific plant for survival. The monarch and its connection with milkweed has been well-publicized. All this makes for a compelling argument that gardens with an eye to the future should encompass a diversity of native plant material.
For a list of native pollinator plants and the number of species they support, check out Bringing Nature Home.
Autumn Mosaic
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
― Stanley H. Horowitz
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