Hatch Battening Continues

 

The view from the top of our treehouse

It's an unusually warm November, but it can't last.

This is the view out of our new bedroom window. Aside from being very cool and nearly floor to ceiling, it gives a fantastic view of almost the whole of Steepmeadow. The raised bed complex to the upper left, through the trees the berry patch, stockpiled wood in the foreground.

The window from the inside

It's been warm enough, unfortunately, that the garlic I planted in October sprouted and is basically ruined. I just ordered up more to get it in the ground before it really does get cold.

I have a sack of creeping red fescue to drop onto the lawn - especially the bare patches. But that's not supposed to go until it really freezes. The same is true of the strawberries, which aren't supposed to be cut back and covered with straw until they go entirely brown and full and continued freeze is in the forecast. 

We've still got '60's in the forecast this week.

To leave the leaves or not to leave the leaves. That is one of the questions.

We've opted for a middle-ground. The former front yard raised bed that had to be moved because of rodents is now full of leaves that I hope turn to leaf mold. Most of the yard we mostly cleared. We did mulch some of the leaves in for fertilizer. And we have left a few places, like the area we are trying to turn into a prairie wildflower spot, unraked. Every bed has been covered in a coat of mulched leaves, which, hopefully, will shed some nutrients down into the soil.

There are advocates for full leaf leaving. I can't quite see it. Too much, and a sloppy mess in the spring.

Forward!