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PDFIt’s that time of year again to start nipping things up in your yard. What a great thing to do as a family! There are lots of different chores for different age groups. Here are a few things that we do in Montrose, CO (zone 6) to get our yard ready.
• Blow out sprinklers, bring in water hoses
• Rake leaves
• Dead Head old perennial & annual growth
• Get those weeds
• Mulch Roses and young plants
• Relocate plants to better locations, plant shrubs or trees
• Trim Dead limbs
• Plant Bulbs
• Don’t forget to water every other month during the winter on particular plants (relocated, young, stressed plants, shrubs or trees) especially if there is no snow pack
• Clean Up Garden & Harvest the Late Season
• AND bring your herbs indoors (potted or dried)
• Ahhh….then build a fire & pop open a nice IPA & marshmallows for the kids
I have been potting up my rosemary and bringing it inside for several years. It is such a treat to enjoy during the winter months. I love rubbing my hands across it and sticking some sprigs in my bath water. My girls love some rosemary in the bath too!! And I especially love cooking with it. I put my potted rosemary in my bathroom so now I can enjoy it right from my tub soaks and after hot showers the rosemary smell fills the room.
Next year I think that I might have to wrap it up in the ground using burlap and mulch to keep it safe since it is getting so big. You can bring other herbs in but I have found that the rosemary does the best moving in and out.
When getting help with the kids, I have found that it is more enjoyable to have them do little tasks along side of you instead of giving them their own task alone. I am pretty sure I don’t need to paint a picture of what I mean by Enjoyable! Unless, they are older children. My girls like to help rake a little bit, and then they like to jump in the pile!
Planting bulbs is also a fun one with kids. I like to dig the hole and then let them place it inside and cover it with dirt. Drying your herbs is a great thing to do together as well. All I do is chop off the plant near the base and stuff it in a paper bag. I roll it over and place it in a cool, dry spot. Once it is dried, I give the bags to the girls and let them stomp on them. Presto! The dried leaves come off the stems pretty good and then you just funnel it into a jar. Freshly dried spices from your garden sure does taste better than the store bought kind and is a lot more affordable.
I hope you enjoy your Family Time putting your yard to ‘Sleep’.
About Author Krista Montalvo
Krista Montalvo is a Southern Peach living the mountain dream with her children and husband. She owns Ginger Magnolia Catering in Montrose, CO. This year she started Marmie Bags which are handcrafted purses with a vintage flair. She is a lover of all things domestic which ranges from a great antique find to cooking & gardening to fashion for you & your home. She also loves to share all the interesting things she happens to experience along the way on her blog amarmielife.com.
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