A Summer Send-Off for Your Garden
3 WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR GARDEN FOR THE CHANGING SEASON
Late summer is the perfect time to clean up your garden and prepare it for the coming winter. In the next couple of months, the temperature will start to drop, but by putting in work now, you can ensure your garden is healthy and ready to flourish next spring. You can even turn garden cleanup into a fun activity for the whole family. Here are three ways to get your garden ready for the next season, while sharing some valuable outdoor time with your loved ones.
and use caution around thorns or plants that can cause irritation.
For daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and any other bulbs that sprang up in the spring, you can now pull them up (if you haven’t already) and divide any bulblets you find into separate plants. This will help cut down on crowding even more come spring.
More Mulch, Please
While most gardeners know the benefits of summer mulching, winter mulching can help lessen water loss, keep weeds out, and regulate soil temperatures during the colder months. It offers an added layer of protection for your plants’roots, which can be sensitive to continuous freezing and thawing, by keeping the soil temperature more consistent.
Take Cover
Cover crops are plants that improve soil health, reduce erosion, and keep your garden healthy, and now is a great time to plant them! Hardy legumes, field peas, certain types of clovers, and warm-season grasses can all work as cover crops, so talk to your landscaper or local nursery to pick out the best choices for your region. While you may not see the fruits of your labors until spring, you can still enjoy preparing your garden for a successful upcoming year and cherish the time you spend with your family outside.
Out With the Old
If any of your plants didn’t fare so well, take some time to remove them and clear space for future plants. This removal should include any invasive plants or weeds that found their way into the soil. Remember to use gloves, wear long pants and socks,
ELLEN ARNETTA DAVIDSON
One of the first clients I had after leaving the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and going into private practice was Ellen Arnetta Davidson. I like saying her full name because it’s memorable, as is she. Ellen was a school bus driver who also made beautiful wedding dresses. She told me that the first time I met her, as I was getting married and so was her daughter. Ellen was sewing her daughter’s gown. She showed me pictures of it — stunning! People who sewwell are creative artists. I can barely sew a button on a shirt! Ellen loved to dance, skate, bowl, camp, and fish, and her job history was as varied as her interests. After going to night school, she worked as a billing clerk for a furniture business; at Wonder bakery, as a restaurant cook, manager, and bookkeeper; as a supervisor at Ohio MR/ DD; and, finally, as a bus driver for Columbus Public Schools. Bus driving involves a lot more than I ever realized as a little twerp riding the bluebird of happiness in Joplin, Missouri. Bus drivers do more than steer. They keep the buses clean, check and refill the fluids, inspect the tires and lights, and help lock down the wheelchairs of disabled students. They’re often encouragers, bringing a big smile on the way to school in the morning and back home in the afternoon. They do a lot more, too, and sometimes it’s hazardous. Over the years, Ellen slipped on ice several times during bus inspections and hurt her knees,
shoulder, and back. She also tore her meniscus while pressing on a stubborn gas pedal. After several surgeries, post-op therapy, and returning to work, she underwent bilateral knee replacements. Still, Ellen was left with burning pains in her legs from her back injuries and has limited use of her left arm and shoulder. The Industrial Commission agreed with us that Ellen could no longer work and granted her lifetime permanent total disability benefits. Although obviously prevented from enjoying her pre-injury active lifestyle, Ellen retains a positive outlook and has fond memories of her many students, all now grown. When I talk with her, she’s still such a happy person, and I can’t help but think back to those days when we were both a lot younger, with weddings of my children and the births of grandchildren years later.
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