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Wow!
This year’s almost gone. It’s November already and I’ve just
started my plans for the fall. I guess football kind of got in the way
of my usual chores and stuff.
I
have to move two trees. I’m moving a corkscrew willow to a friend’s
house in St. Clair County because it isn’t happy here in my front
yard. I’m replacing it with a Japanese maple that I planted in the
wrong place a couple of years ago. The maple doesn’t get enough
appreciation where it is.
I’ve
chosen to wait until now because fall is the best time of year to move
trees and shrubs. They are more likely to survive the trauma by waiting
until fall.
Some
of you haven’t had your first frost yet. I still have some beautiful
flowers in my garden that were planted last spring. However, I know the
killing frost is on the way and I should prepare my planting beds for my
winter flowers such as pansies, violas and a new cross between the two,
panolas.
I’ll
spend the next few weekends saving seeds from my annuals and some of my
seed-throwing perennials like the Echinacea and fatsia japonica.
One
thing you should do now is cut back your Confederate roses and angel’s
trumpets; then mulch them to protect their roots from the winter chill.
Also, if you have tropical banana trees in the ground, do the same with
them. Some of you in the northern parts of the state may consider
digging them up and potting them for storage in your garage during the
winter.
On
the calendar for this month: Thursday, November 16th,
the Alabama Cooperative Extension System is hosting a free mini wildlife
conference and trade show at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens from 6
till 9 p.m. This event is sponsored by our friends with the Alabama
Farmers Cooperative. Seating is limited so call early for reservations
(205-879-6964 ext. 17).
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