One Hundred Dollars a Month

This is a guest post written by my buddy Heather from Massachusetts. I thought it would be fun this year to post Monthly Garden Chores from both the West Coast and East Coast.

For November Massachusetts is downright tropical! This last week we saw 60*! Of course 2.5 hrs north, my sister called from Belfast, ME to say she had a “snow day” due to 12” of snow (keep in mind she’s an adult but 12″ is a lot of snow). Until our snow days kick in we are are looov’in that warm weather!

Unfortunately, it has allowed my procrastinating self to blossom.

The cold frame has been getting by with a plastic sheet – even with the massive amount of rain we got all through October. The lettuces are doing GREAT and I should probably plan a salad or three for this week’s dinner menu.

Seeds I’m Starting Indoors this Month

Due to the weather, and lack of greenhouse, I’m pretty much a one-season gardener. However, I can still sprout sprouts and start planning my winter sowing. In fact, if you’d like to give winter sowing a go, now is the time to start collecting gallon sized, see-through milk jugs. I wanted to really add a lot of perennials to my yard last year and build the lavender hedge in my front yard so I ended up with about 40 jugs. Also, go grab some potting soil (not organic, just potting), vermiculite and peat moss for the soil {or make your own} because come January, February, March when we’re still buried in snow it’ll be almost impossible to find! The winter sowing greenhouses are beyond easy, a great “craft” to do with the kids, and I had great success with them. This lavender hedge is from winter sowing and only one season old – not bad!

What I Plan to Transplant Outside this Month

Mulch! Mulch, mulch, mulch – for my tender or new perennials, that is. So my new precious lavender hedge is going to get mulched, heavily.  Also, my Blueberries  and potted raspberry bushes probably wouldn’t complain if I mulched them for good measure too.

What I plan to Harvest This Month

Carrots, whoop-whoop! This is my first successful year growing carrots. The thing with carrots is that the seeds are sooooo small, and so finicky about water in the spring, and so slow to grow, that I’d given up on them and literally planted that entire box with random veggies. Turns out, once again, that Mother Nature is a way better gardener than I. We were delighted to get three good handfuls of carrots. My daughter and I cleaned them, cut them and froze them in portions for a few family favorite recipes (pot roast and turkey soup). That way I can go grab the baggie and dump it in the crock-pot – BAM, done.

The swiss chard is still kickin’ and the chickens go crazy for it. I’m not a big fan. But it’s pretty.

The tomatoes finally threw in the towel. I was kind of sad to see them go as I’d planted them under my lights last January (which honestly was way to early but I was going a little stir crazy). Now, what the HECK do you do with green tomatoes, because I may have about 30 lbs., and one person can only eat so many fried green tomato sandwiches! Recipes are desperately needed!

Beets – almost forgot about the beets. I think I’ll try this recipe this pickled beets recipe.

Cold-frame. This thing just LOOKS at me every day. ‘Why won’t you finish me? Don’t you love me anymore? Don’t you want to protect your little lettuce leaves?’

Can you hear it? It’s looking at me right now. I’m actually thinking about taking a day off work just to finish it.

All’s well in the garden. The strawberries, blueberry and raspberry bushes are getting ready to go to sleep. Almost all the perennials have gone to sleep, the horse manure has been delivered, and I have a plans to pick up bags and bags and bags of leaves from my friend Courtney for the garden (and a little something for the chickens to play in come winter).

Houseplants and Indoor Bulbs

Hey, check this out! So I planted these pots filled with “anti-mosquito” plants – basically anything with a strong smell or lemony smell and put them on my deck. I may be crazy, but I thought it worked. I had two pots and filled them with lavender (love lavender – can you tell?), basil (can anyone ever have enough basil?) and lemon balm (I dry it and use it for teas in the winter). The simple act of running your hand through any of these plants gives you the greatest smell. I’m always amazed.

I placed the pots on rolling stands for the deck so the deck wouldn’t get stained with mold and when it got cold I brought them inside and they’re doing great. The basil has faded (not enough sun), the lavender is hangin’ in there, and the lemon balm is livin’ the life. It’s already dark, dark, dark in New England so the lack of sunlight will probably put the whole pot to sleep in another month, but until then it’s my little slice of summer has been rolled inside.

Trees and Shrubs

Lemon is AAAALLLLLIIIVEEE! {Read about lemon’s attack of scales and Mavis-reader-solution in the comments – you guys are the best!}  Lemon has had a slow come-back but she’s sitting pretty now and we await those delicious-smelling flowers. Does anyone know if I should trim lemon so it can better support the weight of the lemons? Right now it looks as if the whole thing will splay out all over the place.

(Lemon, second in from the front)

Weed and Pest Control

Frost. Ol’ man Frost has come enough to scare the pants off anything creepy and/or crawly. Plus the chickens love a good bug-buffet.

Lawn Care

Although decomposing leaves can make a good, natural boost for your lawn it can also harbor critters you don’t want near your house/garden. Like voles. I once had a friend who didn’t mow their yard that one-last-mow before winter and left a ton of leaves on the grass. The next spring they were infested with voles as the long grass and leaves created a perfectly warm and loose environment, with no fear of natural predators, to do what voles do – tunnel.

**These garden chores are based on my Zone 5b Southeast/Boston MA location. Find your garden zone HERE.