Fall clean-up

  Finally got started on the fall clean-up today.  My garden looks so sad.  
First 
we suffered through the terrible drought all summer - things were just about
done for - and then eight days of rain.  Thanks to the drought, pressure of
events around the flower show, etc., and still struggling with Lyme disease,
I had not done much for over a month.  Too much to do.  Today I cut down
my 27 peonies and bagged the foliage for garbage disposal - three large
garbage bags full. Cut down the hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes in the
breezeway - they had about stopped producing and didn't look good any 
more.  Moved several plants in for the winter, and found I was about worn
out. If this nice weather holds maybe I can get things back in shape a little.
Bulbs have arrived, but I have to clear places to plant them.
  As for what's blooming - not much.  The monkshood is blooming but the
foliage looks awful.  New England asters are past.  Goldenrod - I have 
'Fireworks,' which did very well and 'Golden Fleece,' which did not bloom
at all this year.  The wild ones that sneak in in spite of me are past, too.
A few annuals are still going - impatiens and a few zinnias, and one 
'Teddy Bear' sunflower, and my miniature roses are still going great.
I grow them in containers around the breezeway, but need to heel them
in the garden before the ground freezes hard. Not much else - everything
looks sad.
  What we are enjoying is the flock of turkeys we have watched growing
up all summer.  They were funny, fluffy chicks, herded by a couple of 
sets of parents like nannies keeping them in order. One funny phase
was when the young ones were learning to fly. Now the youngsters
are nearly as large as the parents.  There are about 15 that come thru
the backyard or driveway about 8:00 AM every morning.  Great kitty TV
too.  Our girls get very excited and follow them from window to window
across the house.
Auralie

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