Planting new lawn area

On Sat, Oct 23, I was finally able to get out and till in manure compost, and apply Pro-Start fertilizer and 50Lbs of lime to the new lawn area which is on the south side of the almost finished 25'x35' hand dug pond, and right off the east side of the house. I use a 24 year old Troybilt tiller, which looks pretty bad at this point, but almost always starts, no matter how long it has been sitting without use. It is an incredibly reliable machine, and generally easy to use, although this time the belt needed to be tightened, but I didn't want to stop because I was losing light, having started late in the day, so had to keep pressure on the handle the whole time...not fun.

Once all of that was tilled in, I planted a sun/shade grass mix, dragged a rake over the whole area(about 1000sq ft), and then covered the newly seeded area lightly with straw mulch. By the time I was putting the seed and straw on, it was almost impossible to see. Only the light from the house gave me some idea if I was covering the area. Not the way to do it really, but I got the job done. I had wanted to get this area planted back in Sept, which would have provided a better start for the grass, but due to minor surgery on my leg, couldn't get to it until now(with the stitches still in). Hopefully, it will have time to get going, but if not, I can always replant in the spring.

While I had the tiller going, I also tilled in a large area for a new combination perennial/shrub bed to the west of the pond. Manure compost, Pro-Start and lime were also incorporated into that bed. Now I have to find time to get in before winter, quite a number of perennials and shrubs which are still in pots, not to mention cleaning up the various gardens, preparing them for winter, mowing the lawn areas perhaps one more time, and then begins the days of leaf raking. Leaves are just starting to fall here, and soon it will be hard to keep up with it.

A garden starts in the fall

I thought I would try to keep a journal here of a year in my gardens....recording preparation, plantings, upkeep, and as many of the chores that a gardener might do either because they have to or because they want to. I want to record not only what happens over the year in the gardens, but also want to record my observations of the natural world of which the gardens are a part.

The island of Martha's Vineyard whereI live is approximately inUSDA plant hardiness zone 7a. We have late springs here on the island usually due to the fact that we are surrounded by the cold Atlantic ocean which takes a while to warm up in the spring, and so keeps us cooler than the mainland. It has often been said that we don't really get a spring here, but go from winter into summer, with only a few brief moments of the glorious springs people speak of on the mainland. Actually, May and June are quite glorious, despite the occasional cold snaps, and each day seems to bring forth something new in the plant, bird and insect world. And because of the moderating factor of the warm ocean in the fall, our autumns tends to be warmer than the mainland, and are one of the most beautiful times here.

I am starting this journal in the fall as the season is winding down, but in a sense it all begins in the fall with the preparation done then, so the growing season is ending, but the preparation for next year begins now...so it is perhaps the true beginning.