Putting The Garden To Bed

I've been so preoccupied with preparing to weave, that I've totally neglected my garden. I should've put things away and planted my cold frames and garlic weeks ago.  If I put it off much longer I may not have a chance. It could freeze or snow at any time. Yesterday I got my chance. It wasn't raining, the husbeast was working and I didn't have anything else scheduled. This is the mess that awaited me. An overgrown lawn, apple tree branches down to my knees, lawn furniture to put away and a garden filled with "past their prime" tomatoes and green beans.

First on the agenda? Mow the lawn. I use a push mower and a rake so this is a bit of a workout. Who needs a gym membership when you have a yard to care for? But before I could mow I had to give the apple tree a trim. It had many scraggly branches hanging quite low, making it very difficult to mow under it. Once the branches were cut from the tree, then cut into smaller pieces to fit in the yard waste container, I could proceed with the mowing. Next up? Clear the garden. I pulled up the tomatoes and beans, put them in the yard waste bin, and stored the cages and poles in the garage. The tomatoes didn't go easily. I had to cut each of them from their cages. I then raked up all the tomato stragglers. I don't want a bunch of volunteers next spring. I used a hoe to dislodge and weeds and then started moving my cinder blocks over to this area so I can build a little cold frame. Better late then never. Last, but not least, I got the raspberry canes under control by cutting out the spent canes, digging up canes that were in spots I didn't want them, and then tying up the remaining new canes to stakes and wire supports. Here is what the backyard looked like at the end of the day.

I still have a couple of days worth of work to do out there. I am forcing myself to complete my yard tasks before settling in to play with my looms. I need to hurry. My weaving videos will arrive on Tuesday.