Yard chores, clean-up

So much to do! Sometimes in life there is so much to do, you are paralyzed as to what to do first, and then read another book. Priorities save me, dahlias have to be lifted after the hard frost, if not lifted the tubers turn to mush over the winter. The stems are cut, tuber clumps dug up and excess soil removed, rested/dried for a day, then packed into newspaper lined crates with peat moss and stored in a cool dry place. Next spring they will be replanted and produce another long show of flowers. Last year tuberose were mostly left in the ground over winter and survived, more are being left in the ground this year, but the fragrance is so wonderful I cannot risk completely losing them and several clumps of bulbs were lifted, trimmed of leaves, and packed in peat moss. When I went to buy peat moss, one product, upon close inspection of its contents, said 20% peat moss, 80% forest products, in other words, mulch. Peat moss is made from sphagnum moss and has several desirable features including water holding capacity and antibacterial qualities, and the bale of pure peat moss was purchased. The next priority will be moving perennials. An orange milkweed needs to be moved to a sunnier location. When non-native, spring flowering perennials are planted, they are provided with enriched soil for years of growth, but after years of flowering, they use up the nutrients. This year three kinds of fragrant lily will be revitalized. Stargazer lilies will be dug up and the bulbs moved to a sunny location and replanted with an enriched soil consisting of potting soil mixed with bone meal, some blood meal, compost, and native soil. The place where they had been growing will be filled with compost. Tree lilies have produced smaller bulbs that need to be removed. The plan is to carefully excavate the clump of bulbs, remove the smaller bulbs and some of the exhausted soil, and replace with the enriched soil. The smaller bulbs may be packed in peat moss and given as gifts. The rose lilies are where I like them to be, they will be dug up, surrounding soil removed and the bulbs replanted in the same location with enriched soil. Hope this works. Then comes all the actual clean-up. To not be overwhelmed, try one finite location at a time. One flower bed, cut stems of old flowers, sedum, black-eyed susans, pull dead annuals, dig weeds, tidy. Depending on the volume of debris, it can be composted, hauled to the recycling, or put in with garbage. One herb bed, cut leggy stems, cut and dry some for later use, transplant some to share. Treat yourself to a couple of bouquets of late flowers. Three in my house now are a silver (stems of dusty miller and lavender), a yellow (late flowers of black eyed susan, marigold, and dusty miller), and a purple (salvia). Enjoy the season.