Mild weather this long holiday weekend has  given us time to work together to dig up, dig down, cut back and rake, all parts of putting the garden to bed. Henry helped me slightly enlarge the end of the bed around the fountain juniper, cleaning out weeds, and making room for small bulbs, miniature golden daffs, ‘Diamond Ring,’ Pink Sunrise’ and macrocarpum ‘Golden Fragrance’ muscari. We will be able to see  these from the dining table in the spring. All these bulbs came from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs along with an extra bag of beautiful big paperwhite bulbs – a gift to cheer gardeners after Superstorm Sandy. I have a lot of daffodils, but none of them can be seen from the house, but it is smart to think about what you see from your windows and plan a ‘windowscape’ that will bring you pleasure, in whatever season.

The Lawn Beds are pretty well cleaned up. The Daylily Bank has also been cut back and some weeding was possible because the ground is not yet frozen. The Herb Bed is nearly cleaned out. I just have to dig out the horseradish. I thought I got rid of all the horseradish last fall, but I was wrong. When shoots came up in the spring I left them, but I am going to make another attempt at removing the horseradish. I was warned it would be a tough job.

I cut back the epimediums, cranesbill, acidanthera, and yarrow growing in front of the holly. This holly bush was filled with brilliant berries last year, but not this year.

On this beautiful sunny Monday morning the ‘Gold Thread’ Chamaecyparis is just glowing in the garden reminding us that we may still have a few golden days before winter sets in.