The main reason I take this week off every year, is that it’s usually an ideal time to put my gardens to bed for the winter.

Unfortunately, this year, I’ve not only had to contend with a bunch of other commitments, but also the weather. It’s been terribly grey and gloomy here, with a fair bit of rain.

But on Thursday, I finally got my break – a sunny day with weather just warm enough to work outside comfortably.

So with the help of my snoopervisors…

I got to it.

Normally, I remove all the dead stuff, cut everything back, and apply a nice thick layer of mulch. But with the warm weather going so late this year, there wasn’t much dead stuff to deal with. In fact, the gardens looked more like a tropical jungle.

So this time around, I settled for just tidying and trimming a few things back. I’ll save the mulch for when things have died back a little more and it’s easier to get in and around the plants. I also got my spring bulbs planted, and as long as Mr. Squirrel doesn’t find them all, we should have some real beauty come spring.

And while the gardens are getting ready for winter in their own way, there’s still much magic to be found.

My Home and Family rose has bloomed around. These beautiful tight buds open fully within a day. And they smell wonderful. I love all my roses, but I really have a soft spot for white ones.

The Chrysanthemum I planted in August is blooming again. I really hope it makes it through the winter.

If course the Sedum is still going strong. I have this Sedum everywhere – Samantha gave me a big clump four years ago. I broke it up and each piece is going strong. I’ve even given some away as it’s grown and spread.

Another Toad Lily as bloomed, and I have more set to open any day. They have tiny little flowers, but they are definitely my favourite fall flower.

This wild Common Chicory popped up by the walkway. These were everywhere where  I grew up in the country. It’s nice to see them in the suburbs.

And all that rain and gloom we’ve had has provided ideal conditions for mushroom growing. I don’t know if this one is edible, and I hate the taste of mushrooms anyway, but I do love it when they pop up unexpectedly!