I think I mentioned that I have never before done any fall garden cleanup. Usually by now I’m too busy, too tired, too over-it-all. I changed that decision this year because my house is on the market & I think my gardens have to look at least somewhat presentable regardless of what month someone might stop by to look at it.
Never having done this before I wasn’t really sure how to go about it. I’ve got the weeding & mulching down pat, but what perennials should I cut back & what should I leave? I consulted some websites and a friend who’s a Master Gardener. Then I started working, and came up with a rule of thumb that works for me.
If it’s a plant that I actually do trim back in the spring or one that I should trim back, then I’d cut it back now. In the first category are things like my peonies and red hot pokers, in the second things like my Siberian iris and daylilies.
I think this rule of thumb makes sense. The things I’m purposely leaving standing include all woody/shrubby plants and anything that I really want to promote, things that I hope will spread their seeds over the fall and winter and reproduce themselves. And of course, the biennials like foxglove and the things that provide winter interest (grasses) or bird food (echinacea).
My yard is definitely looking much more presentable.
Gardening decisions, weaving decisions. I have to make decisions all the time. I wrote about all the decisions I had to make with those turned taquete towels, how many changes I went through. In the end I really like them and will start winding a new warp today. Although I know that others like to sett 8/2 yarn closer, for me 24 ends per inch is great for a thirsty towel. Here are the five good towels I got out of that troubled warp, washed, dried, & hemmed, but not yet pressed.
See that not great treadling decision in the left quarter of towel 1?
Towel 2 has variegated blues/greens/purples weft.
Towel 3 had a solid light blue weft.
Towel 4 has a solid dark green weft with varied treadling patterns. I’m liking those little areas…
…so I do more of that with towel 5 (solid dark blue weft). Hmmm…I actually like towel 4’s design better.
Here are the colors I’ll use for my new warp – 8 instead of the 4 I used for the first time around. This involved about a zillion decisions — blues or oranges? Which blues? In what order?
If I’m willing to change warp colors regularly – and I will for at least some of them – here’s how beautifully gem-like they’ll be.
Wait! Maybe I should make scarves like this!
No. Stick with your decision and start with the towels, Peg. You can make scarves later, but you need towels in your stash now.
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