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Fall Brings Work and Play

   Written by on October 13, 2016 at 9:33 am

logo - walk in gardenI’ve come to the conclusion that Southside Virginia is the prettiest place in the world in fall.  No need to ride to the mountains; indulge in a spin down any country road around here and be filled with that warm, down-home, life-is-good feeling as you look out over fields surrounded by autumn’s display. It’s breathtaking this year.

When you come back home, you have work to do, however.  All those leaves on your lawn must be dealt with, and I can tell you from personal experience that if you just let them stay where they fall, you’re going to regret it. We can’t bag them all up and take them to the convenience center any more, so we have two choices: bum them or mulch them.

If you have a mulching mower that has those special blades that pulverize leaves and grass clippings into tiny bits, after three or four days’ worth of leaves have fallen on your lawn, mow to reduce them to fine pieces which should fall between the blades of grass underneath and be quickly reabsorbed, returning nutrients to your lawn. And here’s the thing:  if you wait too long, the leaves will smother the grass, even when they’re mulched.

If you love to rake leaves, and some people do view it as a rite of the season, bag them up and add to the compost pile, or use a leaf blower to accomplish the same end. Use the leaves for mulch on garden shrubs and plants.

If you’re lucky enough to be out in the yard when the leaves are actually falling from the trees, take a minute to revel in the sight of the changing seasons. Every year, I try to get uptown to the library and stand under the prettiest maple tree in town.  It’s the first tree to turn color, and the first to lose its leaves. I missed the falling this year, but I took Fat Dog up there the other day to shuffle through the thick blanket of bright color on the ground. I don’t think he understood it all when I threw leaves up in the air to settle on his head, but I had fun. There’s still time to stand in your own yard and turn your face up to the autumn sun and receive a shower of leaves.

While you’re facing up, take a look at your gutters.  This is perhaps the yuckiest job of the season, even worse than disposing of your collapsed and rotting jack-o-lantern: cleaning the gutters. You have to haul out a ladder, climb up and scoop the wet, slimy leaves out by hand. If you’ve thought ahead, you have some sort of guard on the gutters that lets the rain run through and keeps out the leaves, thereby eliminating the need for cleaning. I haven’t found a suitable guard yet that will stay affixed to the gutter, so I’ll just keep climbing and scooping.

Speaking of jack-o-lanterns, you can prolong the life of your creation by coating the raw edges around eyes, nose and mouth with a lubricant such as petroleum jelly or WD-40 which reduce the exposure to air.  It also helps to display the pumpkin in a cooler spot and not exposing it to direct sun, on a dry surface.  On Halloween night, be sure to check your sidewalk and lawn and clear tripping hazards such as hoses and wet leaves…and Fat Dogs.

While you’re waiting for the little ghosts and goblins (do kids actually dress like ghosts and goblins any more?), roast yourself a treat.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place three cups of fresh pumpkin seeds, 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoons salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Drain the seeds, blot dry and tosswith 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and 1 tablespoon of garlic salt.  Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking pan and roast until lightly golden and crisp – about thirty minutes.

Reward all your hard work with a snack. Soothe the blisters on your hands with balm, then sit back and enjoy the colors of autumn.

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