Let’s face it, herbaceous perennials are not the tidiest of plants. Then there’s the matter of deciduous trees, raccoon apple detritus, perennial vines that require cutting back and weeds that still think it’s spring. As I age, I’m learning to appreciate those dwarf conifers that just keep-on-keeping-on without extensive maintenance.
Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’ Colorado Dwarf Blue Spruce
While walking around the garden with a camera doesn’t get the work done, it does provide a before list of things to do, which will be a nice reminder of how messy it all once looked.
Rudbeckia and quickly disappearing dry stream bed
On the other hand, Rudbeckia going to seed looks fine, so why not wait until frost takes down the entire plant. The waiting game will also work for the Berberis cleanup.
Berberis coloring up with still plenty of leaves to drop (and clean up)
Meanwhile, while strategically procrastinating, there’s still sporadic blooming to appreciate.
The dahlias refuse to quit blooming
Single hardy Geranium bloom holding on into fall
Our apple tree supplied a seemingly endless supply of apples, both for applesauce and the raccoons.
Fortunately, for this lazy gardener, and even if it’s only outside of the fence, the deer provide some help cleaning up after the raccoons.
