The 5 Levels of November Gardening: From Denial to Hibernation

By Mary-Jane Pilgrim, Grasp Gardener

November generally is a odd and awkward time for gardeners. The blooms of summer season are lengthy gone, and even the hardiest crops are beginning to fade. As we briefly pack up our instruments for winter, many people undergo one thing just like the 5 phases of grief—solely with extra filth underneath our fingernails than we normally have when grieving.

1. Denial
It begins with pretending the frost and snow aren’t actually that unhealthy. You persuade your self {that a} contact of frost received’t truly kill your tomatoes and that they’ll bounce again by midday once they get a bit hotter. Spoiler: They received’t.

2. Anger
Then comes the frustration. Why did you overlook to cowl the basil? Why didn’t the climate app warn you about that early freeze? You glare on the sky, muttering about how unfair all of it is, and plan to maneuver south on the earliest alternative.

3. Bargaining
You begin making offers with nature: “If I carry the pots inside, perhaps they’ll survive.” You shuffle crops indoors, rearranging windowsills in a determined act of hope with area within the south window at a critical premium. You conveniently overlook that the majority crops received’t truly survive within our dry as a desert properties—however you’ve gotta strive, proper?

4. Mulching
Actuality units in, and also you lastly take motion. You clear up the backyard beds (leaving flower stalks for our nesting bugs, after all), unfold mulch, lastly end planting these tulip bulbs, after which tuck every part in for winter. The instruments have been oiled and the mushy hosta leaves are within the composter, simply in time for the fluffy stuff to start out falling. It’s a quiet, grounding ritual—half farewell, half promise to return however largely it’s acceptance of our destiny as Canadians in a 4 season local weather.

5. Hibernation
Eventually, peace. You sip tea by the window, dream over seed catalogs, and plan subsequent 12 months’s backyard. November reminds us that relaxation is a part of the rising cycle too—and even gardeners want a bit of dormancy.