End-of-year cleanup

Still no killing frost, but snow showers are finally forecast tomorrow. We’ve tried to take advantage of this late-season spell of relatively warm, dry weather to conduct some much needed “garden-keeping.”

In the past week, my husband, Kevin, and I have focused on tidying-up tasks:

• Pulling undesirables so they won’t get a jumpstart on us come spring.

• Removing certain no-longer-desirables that don’t serve a purpose as food source or companion plant.

• Mulching around berries and currants to create a cleaner landscape and discourage weeds.

• Transplanting tulip and daffodil bulbs away from annual beds.

• Thinning unruly companion plants that have spread away from their intended  homes.

• Painting fruit tree trunks white to reflect sunlight and protect against winter injury.

• Gleaning remaining frost sensitive vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini and turnips.

• Storing trellises and other support apparatuses.

• Cleaning and prepping seed starting trays and supplies so they’re ready to grab when spring fever strikes.

• Relocating a spare bucketful of red wigglers inside where it’s warm so we can repopulate the compost bin if need be in May.

Along the way, we’ve compiled a wish list of items and tasks to acquire or tackle next year when the garden-keeping resumes!