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A Gardener's Notebook: The latest incarnation of my column detailing the trails and tribulations of my garden. Join the list and ask your own questions about gardening Subscribe

Even after 13 years away from my small hometown of New London, Ohio (pop. 2000) I still miss this time of year as it was in my childhood. After a spring and summer spent preparing the soil, planting the seeds and tending the crops, everything rushed to fruition. The chill in the air added a sense of urgency. You could tell by your reddened cheeks and nose that winter was only a hairbreadth away. Everything had to be bedded down "before the snow flies" as my father used to say -- and still does.

Not quite right

In my new home in California the signals for fall are a bit mixed. The sun is slanting ever lower in the sky and the deciduous plants are all starting to drop their leaves. The Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) has yellowed in several places and will soon give way on the trellis to the evergreen Hardenbergia (Hardenbergia violacea) that is intertwined with it. The pumpkins sit in the open fields or the perennial stands on empty corner lots. Unlike Ohio, we are still wearing shorts and t-shirts as we select one for our perfect jack-o-lantern. I suspect the cooler weather and rain will catch up with us before long but the oddities of the heat and the predicted Santa Ana winds make me long all the more for "home."

Updates

The new & renewed irises have started to show signs of growth. Spiked, green leaves are pushing up among the leaves that had been trimmed back for transplanting. The surrounding bulbs are growing tall and a few paper whites have already popped open.

One of the transplanted passion vines (Passiflora) survived the munching it received from a particularly hungry caterpillar. (See Munch, munch, munch, October 10, 1999)The other is looking sickly although it is still green. It might throw off a few leaves yet. I suspect the vines are accustomed to this sort of defoliation so it hasn't seemed to hurt it too much. My only fear is the sickly one hadn't had enough time to build up its roots before it was eaten.

While most of you are probably bedding down your roses for the winter, mine continue to blossom. They are looking a bit scraggly from all their summer growth, but I will cut them back hard and prune any weak growth come January. The roses are not entirely dormant even then. I will still have to sacrifice a few new blooms in the cutting.

Leaves

Yet another California oddity (and major inconvenience) is the way that leaves are dropped. Instead of a fairly rapid drop, the trees, depending on the species, will drop leaves for weeks, if not months. This means a constant battle to keep up with the raking and leaf-blowing. If the rains come before I can get the leaves up, they turn into a thick mat that is very difficult to move.

The one exception to this leaf-dropping problem is the Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) located immediately outside the back door/porch area. In previous years the leaves have yellowed seemingly overnight. The first good wind or rain strips the tree entirely, leaving a carpet of gold on our doorstep.

One more Fall season comes and goes and once again I will miss the rustling, dry cornstalks, wagons of soybeans and corn on their way to market and the free cider and donuts handed out by the Rotary Club at the Halloween parade. Of course, I am blessed having these harvest time memories. There are millions of people who have none at all

Holiday Gifts

As we move closer to the holiday season I will try and highlight a few items that would make a good gift for the gardener(s) in your life.

Leaves in Myth, Magic & Medicine : In Myth, Medicine, and Magic
by Alice Thomas Vitale, Alice Thoms Vitale, Alice T. Vitole

The Garden Book
by John Brookes

100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names
by Diana Wells, Ippy Patterson (Illustrator)

Until next week…

Keep digging!