Up until Hurricane Sandy, we were enjoying a bit of Indian summer, with tomatoes still ripening (albeit slowly) on the vine, and some trees showing little color change. Despite high winds and a great deal of rain, we were very fortunate in the DC area to be spared the kind of devastation that happened further north. In our yard, amazingly, we had no damage. But I hope this is the last storm I will sit out wondering if the huge silver maple in the back yard will come down on our house. I think we will finally get it cut down, despite the cost.
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| After the storm |
The hurricane warnings prompted me to focus on fall cleanup in a way that I don't usually do. Everything that could possibly be picked up by a strong wind went in the shed. And I decided to cut seed heads from as many plants as possible. Every year I intend to do that for the purpose of participating in one or more seed exchanges, but I never quite get to it. This year, I have realized that many of my native plants are prolific spreaders - usually the ones with small light seeds spread by wind. So the day before the storm I cut and bagged many seed heads and saved a few of each for seed exchange.
Since the storm it has been colder here, and it feels like the time of year it is. Halloween is past, the time changes this weekend, and Thanksgiving is coming right up. Spring is my favorite season, but the end of the gardening season does have its own beauty.
