Monday, November 9, 2009

That's It! That's All She Wrote! Finis! (I think...)

In Yesterday's post, I'd mentioned stretching fine, plastic "deer fencing" over the leaves used as mulch on several of my flower beds. This same fencing is often sold for stretching over ponds in the Fall - to keep out the fallen leaves. This is what it looks like (below).
You might want to click on the photo below to enlarge it.. so you can see the netting.

Tah-dah! My raking is completed! I know the yard won't stay this pristine,
but whatever happens now... happens. :-)

Perhaps if you click on the photos below, you'll see more detail. There's a bed at the left of the shed. The Woodland Walk begins at the right side of the shed. The Backyard Center beds are in the foreground on the left of this photo and stretch into the next two photos.
The LUMP of leaves by the shed, mentioned in yesterday's post is gone... the ravine is in the "Way Back"... again, if you click on the photos, you'll see it.



There are flower beds all over. But I've finished raking!

The only thing that occurred to me this afternoon was... perhaps I should find some very low, inexpensive fencing to put in the center and at the edge of the Woodland Walk to keep the leaves from blowing off.
I was not able to stretch the fencing over these beds. Too many trees. ;-)

Nothing Shady here today... the leaves are nearly fallen!
Have a great week!


17 comments:

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Looks great, you've done a ton of work lately. I've got to get out there and finish putting everyone to bed, it's not my favortie job, I prefer to stay in denial about the growing season being over.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Good job! I wish I could say I was done, but I have to wait for the neighbor's Maple to blow.
I like the overhead view of the garden, it shows the size and shapes of the beds so well. And also the neighbor's lovely canoe.

Anonymous said...

We only have a couple of trees and they are only about half way bare. More fuel for the compost bin I guess.

Northern Shade said...

I really like your property, with so many trees, so much planting space, and the large sweeping lines. You have a lot of beds to cover, and a lot of obliging trees dropping their leaves. The black coloured netting is unobtrusive.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

I'm jealous. We have so few trees and leaves in our high plains desert that I have been known to sneak down to the valley and steal some of the bags of leaves people put out for the city composting trucks...

Dirt Princess said...

I still just can't get over all of those leaves! Some people would be put off by them, but you use them to serve a purpose and have learned how to deal with them.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Rebecca, It felt really good to be outdoors today... and it really hasn't taken so long, over all. I know what you mean about denial, but I really think I'm ready to start the Winter-time mode. (Indoor projects, reading gardening magazines, etc. and planning for next year!) ;-)

MMD! You gave me a good chuckle. I wonder if the canoe would float in the ravine next Spring? We'd have to watch out for the waterfall at the end! ;-)

Hi Chad and Brandy, You'll enjoy being outdoors... hopefully your weather holds.

Northern Shade, I'm very much spoiled out here. I've created the beds (almost all of them) and thus, work for myself. But... what a pleasure! :-)

Hi Kate, Last week I spent some time discussing trees with my 6-year-old grandson. We discussed all the ways trees are used and their advantages. The only thing we didn't discuss was the exercise one gets by raking them! ha!! :-)

Dirt Princess, Thanks for your kind comments. (I can be put off by them from time-to-time... take the past three weeks or so, for instance. I'd have normally been out raking to keep up with them, but it turned Very cold and rainy. I'm so thankful the weather turned so perfectly great just lately!) ;-)

Anonymous said...

We just did a big leaf removal. More a re still falling but it is back under control.

Ellie Mae's Cottage said...

I wish we were done raking but sadly the darn leaves just keep coming down. We have a lot of oak trees and they lose their leaves late in the season so we usually aren't done raking until late November. -Jackie

Nutty Gnome said...

Wow, but that's one heck of a lot of leaves Shady ...... I thought we'd got a lot of trees, but they are NOTHING in comparison to what you've got!!!

I spent all weeekend raking and clearing leaves - and I haven't even started on the front garden and drive yet! Good job I love that feeling of tiredness after a hefty day's work in the garden :)

Thanks for the quilt pattern - it's great and I'm going to give it a go :)

Rosemary said...

Whew what a big job you have completed.....it does looks fabulous! so neat and pristine!

Anonymous said...

What a good idea, to cover the leaves with the netting! We use that netting to cover our pond to keep the leaves out and fish eating critters from feasting on our resident fish. Our trees still have some leaves, as do many in the neighborhood so our leaf dealings are not done. It is a good feeling when they are finally all put in place, wherever that may be. Now you are not shady, hooray for the sun, when it breaks through the clouds that is. :-)
Frances

Shady Gardener said...

MotherNaturesGarden - Isn't it a good feeling to be keeping up with the job?? Thanks for visiting! :-)

Jackie... like me. Most of the leaves have fallen here this year, probably due to the large quantities of rain we've received. (We have a lot of oak trees that hold their leaves until Spring - do you?)

Hi Liz, Last year I was out almost all the time just "keeping up." It was a very nice time. This year, we were forced to wait until now (weather), and it also was a good experience. It works either way. And YOU should know about the rewards of working hard outdoors!! :-) Keep me posted on your quilt...

Rosemary, (chuckle) We both know it won't stay this way! :-)

Hi Frances! Yesterday one of our neighbors' dogs got into the netting. It was okay, though. He got right back out! ha. I remind myself quite often that "the sun is always shining... sometimes it's just above the clouds!" ;-) Have a great day!

Gail said...

Shady, All fallen! That was a lot of work! Ours are just starting....it's at this time of the year that I wish i hadn't all these trees! I am going to corral them this winter! gail

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Gail! Well... we are north of you. Some of our trees keep their leaves until Spring, but it doesn't seem as though there will be as many as usual. I understand the amount of work that you'll be going through. You'll corral them - I have no doubts. :-)

troutbirder said...

Very nice views. Similar to mine on Oak Hill and same "raking technique." I really like the phrase "woodland walk" Shady and think I'll adopt it for my own. Although I have a north and a south version.

Shady Gardener said...

Troutbirder! Use it please! And then you'll have to do some posting... that's the only stipulation I can think of! ;-)