The recent DIY work I have been doing on the house makes me realise that sometimes you have to make a bit of a mess to get things done. I’m one of those irritating people that have the pans washed before the family sit down for dinner and try to keep mud free when I’m digging the garden. It can be a sign of stress, or a never ending cause of it. I’m getting better at not noticing jobs that need doing in the house though. I’m working on the theory that the dust only gets to a certain depth and then stops.
Outside it’s a different matter. I am noticing more and more that its nature that does most of the tidying in the garden, thank goodness.
The heavy rains come and the driveway is cleaned.
The winds come and as if by magic the leaves swirl around into an orderly pile at the corner of the walls ready for me to collect without really having to do anything.
Even the leaves that don’t blow in the wind are taken care of as the worms pull them underground and eventually mulch and feed the plants. I have been taking some of them out of the guttering though as they can be a bit of a problem if they block the downpipe. A bit of wire netting scrunched up and placed over the hole should spare me having to go up too regularly though.
Frost
Frost is a great tidier too. One good blast of cold expands non hardy plant stems until they burst causing them to die off. Perennials go brown but stay on throughout the winter for hibernating insects to live in then decompose almost entirely in spring after they have protected the new emerging shoots of fresh growth from the worst of the weather.Pots
Pots and piles of debris are also places where wildlife will live happily over the winter so don’t look upon the clutter in the corner of the garden as a job to do. It’s already doing it. You can always go out when the weathers nice in spring to clean up after the wildlife has moved on, or been eaten. The garden will be teaming with hiding insects for the birds to find which could be far more beneficial than hanging a fat ball out on the washing line.Safety
There are a few things to do in the garden that I would say are more for health and safety reasons than anything else. If you have a patio or decking, get it cleaned up and remove any algae. Some surfaces, especially decking are really treacherous when wet, especially if the wooden boards are in line with the door frame. It only takes a second on a wet day for your feet to slip from under you as you grab for the door handle.If there are any stray twigs, branches or leaves falling onto or hanging over the paths, these could be trimmed back. Some of them could be a tripping hazard but my main issue is brushing past them when I go to get the coal in when it’s wet.
If you have a pond there could be a bit of clearing up to do, especially if you have fish.
Lawns
Contrary to popular belief, lawns don’t really stop growing, they just do what we do and slow down a bit over the winter. You might need to move and compost a few leaves if there are trees around. If there isn’t a compost bin, put the wet leaves into dustbin liner bags and put them in an out of the way place for the winter and spring. They should have rotted down well enough next summer to be spread around the base of the shrubs and trees in the garden.Because the grass doesn’t stop growing, why don’t you join me on Christmas day in cutting the lawn? After everything has been cleaned in the house it’s lovely to go outside and put a clean crisp set of lines on the grass.
I said I was getting better at not noticing jobs that need doing, not cured of it!
