Time for Bed.

     Its time to clean up and put my little babies to bed for the winter.  We are having some really nice days and some miserable ones.  The only problem with the nice days is that it is bringing out the mosquitoes, and they are still hungry. We really haven't had frost here yet, just a little bit that touched the cars but not the ground, the impatiens are still blooming and the tomatoes are still producing although the plants look a bit pathetic.  On the other hand the ground is so wet that the sod moves when you walk on it.

     I take my plants and line them out for winter in rows.  Cutting back what needs to be and grouping them so they are easier to put out in the spring.  I will write in my book where each ones are located in the groups and then remove the tags.  The tags fade and get brittle over the winter so it is just easier to remove them.  I will mark which ones need dividing, potting up to a larger size or need more propagated. 

      They will be covered with insulation and leftover fir boughs from making wreaths in November.  I have learned over the years what plants over winter well with this method and what doesn't.  Many of the grasses don't over winter in pots (some do) so they are either healed in the garden or put in the unheated greenhouse.  The cactus, sedums and sempervivum are also placed in the greenhouse (unheated) mostly to keep them dry.  I have been keeping the creeping phlox there too because the mice like to get into them under the fir boughs.

      Now for something completely of the wall, or should I say up on the roof.  This is Puddle, Gillian's cat.  How she got on the garage roof I'll never know, I only know while I was arranging my plants, I heard this thump and here she was half way up looking absolutely terrified.  She krept right to the top and sat there and cried. Anyone who has been here before knows our house and garage roofs are at a steep pitch.  I didn't know how to get her down, but I knew enough to get the camera because no one was going to believe me.



      I went and got a ladder and stood it against the greenhouse, hoping she would come down the roof and use the ladder.  She would not come down when I was watching so I sat on the bench under the tree and waited.  Didn't take long and she carefully came down.

      But of course she didn't use the ladder, she punched a few more holes in the plastic and jumped to the baggage wagon. Well, at least she is down and I didn't have to call the neighbours in a panic.

Looking pretty smug isn't she.  I bet she won't try that again.