Springtime in November

I’ve seen examples of an extended autumn all over the place: a lawn-care service mowing my neighbour’s property, advertisements for beach barbecues, a lively snake spotted on a woodland trail on Nov.9, and snapdragons bursting into bloom.

On Remembrance Day I planted close to four-dozen white-blooming spring bulbs and had to peel off my jacket because it was too warm. And I’m still out there cycling.

You can take advantage of this spring-like weather by accomplishing a few last minute chores in the garden. Inspect the beds for weeds and yank them so they won’t set seed and cover more ground.

If you have desirable self-seeders like I do (colonies of Johnny Jump-Ups and forget-me-nots), you can easily lift and move clumps of them with balls of soil surrounding their roots to other areas of the garden.

Prevent small rodents and other pests from moving into your garden by cutting back tall grass and cleaning up weedy areas beneath shrubs and trees.

Turn over your vegetable bed and toss any remaining vines and top growth into the compost. You can leave carrots in the ground to harvest through winter.

Clean out any remaining pots and store in a dry area. This is especially important for clay pots as any soil left inside will expand and shrink, possibly causing cracking.

Gather up and compost any larger leaves that have died back on perennials, like hostas, to remove winter lodging for slugs or/and viral diseases. Check your clematis and long-caned rosebushes and either trim them back or tie them securely so the wind does not cause damage over the winter.

Drain your garden hose and store it and turn off the water to the outside tap.

Lastly, take care of that mower: Clean out the grass from the underside, drain and change the oil, clean the air filter and check and change the spark plug if required. Start the engine and let it run until the gas runs out. Sharpen the blade then take a well-deserved break for the next five months.