As spooky season approaches, this year is shaping up to be one of the most creative, expressive years yet for Halloween decor. As I walk or drive around the neighborhoods this year, I see some very creative decorations, from tech-enhanced animatronics to vintage charm and classics.
I'm most impressed with the large 12-foot skeletons and animatronics. Our neighbor, who lives around the corner from us, has a 12-foot animatronic witch. When you walk by, it lights up and screams at you.
These large decorations have instant curb appeal, and the kids love them. Keep in mind that if you purchase something this large, you will need a place to store it.
I also see a lot of the classics, such as inflatables in all shapes and sizes, ghosts, and pumpkins.
We decorate our yard with two inflatables, one 7-foot Grim Reaper and a 4-foot pumpkin. We line the walkway to the front porch with six lighted carved pumpkins, three per side. For a lighted ambiance, we wrap lights around both railings on the porch.
This is our front yard for Halloween. The witch in the cauldron has since been replaced with the Grim Reaper and Pumpkin inflatables.
Find all of your Halloween needs in my Amazon Storefront
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and Tracy Chevalier is among my favorite authors. A Single Thread, did not disappoint. Chevalier draws you right into the story from the very beginning and you not only read a moving story but learn a bit of history along the way.
Book Review
I found this to be a fascinating story of how one woman created a good life for herself despite the constraints of her time. It takes place in England in the 1930's. The country is just getting past World War I and the beginning of the next war is on the horizon.
She secures a job and makes friends. Through a friend she decides to join a group of women who embroider kneelers for the local Cathedral. Violet has never done this type of embroidery before, but she becomes quite dedicated to learning this skill and finds support and fellowship with the group.
When forces threaten to hurt her new independence, Violet must find a way to put down roots in a place and time where women are not expected to grow and thrive on their own.
Through this book, I learned a lot about the challenges woman faced in that era and admired the way the main character overcame the challenges of the age. I also learned a lot about the craft of the brodiers.
Book on Amazon
A Single Thread can be purchased on Amazon in hardback, paperback, audio and kindle versions. Here is a link to get you to the book A Single Thread
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
One day I was trying to pull a shoebox off the top shelf of my closet, and
I accidentally hit my stack of photo albums. To my horror, they
toppled off the shelf and hit the floor with a resounding THUD! As it
did, the photos went flying out of them like a mini blizzard. They
went flying on the bed, under the bed and into my closet. I just stood
there with my mouth open, I kept thinking "oh NO, they were all
sorted!" I had always kept my photos separated in albums by person or
event. Now they were anything but separated!
After collecting all the pictures, I realized the pictures were not the
only thing out of sorts. I was too! It was going to be a
monumental task to sort all these photos back in the right album and put
them in the right order. I just sat there on the floor with my head in
my hands. There had to be a better way of dealing the photographs
other than putting them in albums. I stacked the albums in the corner
and put the photos in a shoe box on top and I decided to check on Amazon to
see if they had anything for photos.
I typed in "photo organizers and storage" The first to pop up was a box
with separate individual boxes inside. It was plastic, with a handle
and also water proof! I thought "that could work!" I looked
further into the description. It had snap tight closures and the large
one could hold up to 1800 pictures!! Wow! The box was 14.25" x
10.6" x 4.72" and had 18 inner boxes, which held up to 100 4 x 6
photographs. I was sold and I bought this one:
If you wanted a smaller version for less photographs they also make 7 inner
box and 9 inner box, however, they are almost the same price as the one I
bought. They look like this:
When it arrived, i liked it immediately. It was very compact, and
easy to store. The interior boxes were sturdy and snapped
closed. They even included small stickers so you could label each
small box as to what pictures were in it! I was ready to start.
First I sorted the shoebox of photos into categories then each category into
individual people or events. I chose a box, put a label on it and then
arranged the photos in order. Since most events don't have 100
pictures, I clipped them with these, they were perfect because of all the
sizes:
I was very pleased when all the boxes were full. They were so neat
and tidy! All in their place, labeled with what was in them. So
much better than those bulky albums, especially when the stickiness wears
off the pages due to age and the photos get loose, which is why mine went
flying when they hit the floor. There was only one spot of bad
news......
I have more pictures! They all did not fit in the one box!
So I ordered another one, of course!
I really cannot recommend these photo organizers highly enough. They
are so compact and make finding pictures so easy. I will never use
anything else for my photographs!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
The Conbola cordless fan was recommended to me by a friend who is an avid gardener and lives in a state that is farther south, with a warmer climate, than where I live. She used the fan while gardening on warm days. I may live farther north but I can't stand our humid and hot days. This fan made this summer's camping trips so much more comfortable.
The Conbola Portable Cordless Fan
The Conbola Portable Cordless Fan is advertised as a durable, portable fan that can be used while camping, garages or jobsites, fishing, and in combination with beach umbrellas. This fan can also be used in kitchens, at desks, and in any area that you'd like just a bit of a personal breeze. It is a quiet fan. Our building at work is an older building with heating and cooling issues. I know that I will take this fan with me to work so that I can work at my desk in comfort when the building feels like a sauna. I am not exaggerating. Almost anyone who works in an old building
Portable; cordless
Quiet Fan; four speeds
LED light; 3 settings
270 degree rotation
hooks for hanging
24 - 48 hours of operation
USB-A port that can be used to charge your other devices
rechargeable, USB C, 25400mAh Battery
charging cord included
This fan comes in different styles. I choose the fan with the USB-C charging system. Before camping trips, I am able to fully charge the fan at home then pack it in with my camping gear. There is also a solar recharging version if you would prefer.
Camping
I have never enjoyed hot and humid weather. But I love to go camping. I prefer primitive campsites which means in a tent, or a sleeping bag on the ground. Maybe in the back of the bed of the truck. Definitely, without water or electrical hook-ups for RVs. I'm older now, so I have an A-frame, pop-up camper which provides some conveniences but I still choose the secluded sites with no water or electric hook-ups.
This summer I was thrilled to have a Conbola fan with me. On one particular camping weekend, the weather was hot and humid. Even while I was parked under a thick stand of shade trees, I had a hard time being comfortable. But I had the Conbola fan in the pop-up camper. This fan moves far more air than I had expected. And the battery lasted much longer than I had expected. Initially, I ran it for only short periods of time (an hour at a time) to try to ensure having a fan for the entire weekend. After that first day, I ran it for hours at a time, with confidence.
Portable Cooling on the Homestead
I may decide to use this fan in the winter to better circulate the hot air from the woodstove. I had also thought that this little fan would be perfect if I still had rabbits. Rabbits have fur and are easy to keep comfortable in cold weather. But rabbits are like me in that they don't do as well during hot summer days. Rabbit owners are often sharing tips with each other to help keep their rabbits cool. This fan would easily hang on their cage and provide a cooling breeze (note: under roof or other protection. I do not believe these fans are water resistant). I imagine that there may be other situations in which pets and animals would maybe require cooling. And, as my gardening friend demonstrated with her Conbola fan, some folks benefit from taking a fan with them while gardening.
As a Gift
This fan would make a great gift! I'm thinking of dorm rooms, craft/art studios, attic bedrooms, folks who have booths at summer festivals, and people who like to be prepared for low or no power emergency situations. Or, do you know people who live in the same home and participate in "thermostat wars" because one person is too cold and one is too hot? This would make a great gift for the person who prefers to have a personal breeze blowing. I am positive that you are able to think of someone who would put a quiet, cordless fan to good use.
If you prefer to shop the Conbola website, you will also find a large variety of their fans, lighting, and energy storage.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I've Been Obsessed with Time Since I Was 8 Years Old
That sounds like a strange thing for an eight-year-old to say, doesn't it? But I remember it vividly.
I was eight, my brother was six, and we were trying to let Mom sleep in.
Our mornings were often filled with old Shirley Temple movies and wild imaginations. We'd turn a blanket into a "boat," grab canned goods from the kitchen, and pretend we were setting sail — sometimes to escape danger, sometimes just to explore.
One morning, standing in the hallway, I asked my brother a question that still echoes in my soul today:
"Why are you you and me me?"
He probably shrugged it off, eager to get back to our blanket boat, but that question never left me. Even at eight, I felt the weight of my own existence — this sense that "I" was something separate and conscious, and that somehow Time and existence were connected in ways I couldn't understand yet.
When Time Became a Fascination
As I got older, that awareness of Time grew into an obsession.
Not the kind that makes you late for appointments or stare at clocks (though I've done both), but the kind that makes you wonder: what exactly is Time?
I became drawn to time travel movies andstories that twisted the rules of reality and blurred the boundaries between "then" and "now." They weren't just entertainment for me — they were portals into possibilities. I didn't separate the spiritual from the scientific; I was open to it all.
Can we move through Time? Are we souls who return again and again? Or are we simply fleeting passengers on a one-way track? I never dismissed any of it — God, aliens, reincarnation, time loops, you name it — because every theory felt like it was reaching for the same truth.
Now, as an adult, I believe our souls are timeless. The "me" I felt at eight still feels like the "me" I am today — wiser maybe, but still that same spark.
The answer to "why are you you and me me?" has softened over the years into something beautifully simple: love and kindness are the only measures, Time is the vehicle. You are always you, and I am always me.
I've come to understand (for me) that we are always our spirit, always our consciousness, always us. It's never been a crap shoot, which is one of the things I felt at 8 years old, that I no longer feel at 65 years old.
No matter who we are, where we came from, or where we go, it's love and kindness that anchor us. When we step away from that, Time loses its purpose, the vehicle stalls — it just becomes noise in the background instead of a rhythm in our heart. The rhythm of growth NEEDS love, it NEEDS kindness. The rest IS noise that only slows our learning down.
Writing My First Poem About Time When I Was a Teenager in the 1970s
By seventeen, I could already feel Time slipping by. I remember taking the train from my small town to Toronto to visit a friend — about a three-and-a-half-hour ride. Somewhere along the way, watching the world blur past the window, I wrote a poem about Time.
It was the 1970s, and I was a teenager — but even then, I felt the strange ache of hours passing too quickly (crazy, I know! I was so young yet felt the ticking clock).
Later, in my thirties, I rewrote that same poem, layering it with the wisdom and wear that life had given me.
In my fifties, I revised it once more, adding even more perspective, as if each decade had given me a new lens through which to see Time.
If I am gifted more Time, will I revise the poem again? I think about that.
Below is that poem, one that has traveled with me for nearly 50 years now — a kind of map of how Time has shaped me.
TIME'S GIFT
Time heals Promising closure Shrinking scars like popping bubbles As it prepares our gift Time's benefaction is objectivity to our past Building an awareness of yesteryears Defogging our vision for truth Generously donating our package of clarity
Time lies only to those who misuse its precious moments, Lines entrenched on our face can devour redeemable blemishes By gracefully accepting our package healing eyes can widen to witness dissipating mist
Time promises blessed tomorrows Let us put away our spinning wheels plunge forward with our lesson accept our bequest from Time, and yes! We will have morning smiles
It's fair to say I've seen nearly every time-travel movie ever made.
I seek them out, not for the science fiction, but for the spiritual resonance they carry. There's something about them that feels true on multiple levels.
Many philosophers suggest that Time isn't linear — that everything, past and future, is happening all at once. Whether that's scientifically provable or not doesn't matter much to me. What matters is that it feels right.
The only real Time that exists is this moment — the present.
When I first read that idea, I couldn't quite grasp it.
"What do you mean, only the present exists?" I'd think. We have memories, plans, regrets, and hopes — of course, Time is more than just the present.
But as I've aged, I've come to understand what it really means:
You can reflect on yesterday and plan for tomorrow, but you can only live in the present.
This very moment — writing these words, breathing this breath — is Time. Everything else is memory or imagination.
It took years, but I FINALLY understand that at my core.
When Time Stands Still
Living in the present doesn't mean ignoring the future or the past. It just means that you live fully in the moment you're in — even when that moment hurts.
Life has its seasons of chaos and heartbreak, but even in those times, I've learned that joy can still exist. It might be quieter, more fragile, but it's still there — tucked into laughter through tears, or a single kind gesture that reminds you that love never disappears, it just changes form.
That's where Time stands still — in those sacred, love-filled moments.
Closing Thoughts: What Time Has Taught Me
If Time has taught me anything, it's that every second matters — not because we're racing against a clock, but because each moment is a chance to choose love over fear, kindness over indifference, and presence over distraction.
Maybe that's why I've always been obsessed with Time.
Because somewhere deep down, I knew it wasn't about minutes or hours —
It was about being alive in them.
Blessings, Love Barbara xxoo
P.S. I've written a flash fiction story about the concept of life, lessons learned, and ultimately Time and what matters available here on ReviewThisReviews - you can find it here.
A Video I Created at 60 Years Old, Sitting Quietly With My Mother
My mom passed away in 2021, and she will forever be a part of my every breath, in this life and beyond. This video remains my current reflection on what Time means to me, now that I am 65 years old.
If I were to revise my above poem, "Time’s Gift" again, I’d add the message from this video: that life’s lessons matter, yes, but it’s the love we share and receive that truly sustains us and moves us forward.
Dedication – With heartfelt appreciation to my fellow writers at ReviewThisReviews.com, and especially to Sylvestermouse and Margaret, whose friendship and creativity continue to light the way. Time has been my friend because you are in my life.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Pearl is a street kid who, on her 13th birthday, becomes pregnant and accidentally kills the baby’s father, a police officer. She spends the next five years moving around, trying to keep hidden from the police who search for her and attempting to keep baby Leonard safe. Eventually, her past catches up with her and she never returns after leaving Leonard with her neighbor, Mitch.
Mitch is far from the ideal caretaker--he’s having an affair with a client’s wife--but he and Leonard must find a way to bridge the gap between them as they bond as parent and child. As time goes on, Leonard becomes very close to Mitch, but he never stops feeling Pearl's presence in a tangible way: her 'forever love' for him. And Mitch discovers that taking care of Leonard is the best thing that ever happened to him.
The story's characters include a tough teen (Pearl), her sweet son (Leonard, age 5 at the beginning of the story, smart and loving and suffering from a degenerative eye disease), and the 25-year-old neighbor, Mitch, who maintains a home business.
Summary
Narrated in the alternating voices of the principal characters, this novel is an examination of relationships and special bonds. Events go back and forth in time from one chapter to the next. Mitch and Leonard grow up together, through the power and the magic of the human heart.
Author Catherine Ryan Hyde once again gives us an astoundingly wise portrayal of human nature.
*Review of the novel, Love in the Present Tense, was written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Wednesday is a popular Netflix series based on Wednesday Addams of the Addams Family. The first season, which aired in 2022, saw Wednesday, who is played by Jenna Ortega, try to solve a murder at Nevermore Academy.
The series received positive reviews from the critic with Wikipedia saying that it was "the second most watched English Netflix series." The second season was released in 2025 and the show has since been renewed for a third season.
DOLL DESCRIPTION
The show is
popular enough to have created some interesting merchandise including the American Girl doll named Wednesday who appears here on this page. The Hollywood Reporter says that the American
Girl doll company has “gone goth.” For this doll, American Girl partnered with Amazon MGM
Studios.
Packed in a special collector box with a certificate
of authenticity, she sold for $295 U.S. According to American Girl Fandom, she was released on July 21, 2025 and
sold out six days later on July 27, 2025. The limited-edition doll, with a run of 6,000 individually numbered dolls, was available on both the American Girl and the Amazon websites.
Wednesday is
like many other Truly Me American Girl dolls, measuring 18-inches with opening
and closing eyes, a vinyl head and limbs and a soft body. This doll, of
course, looks like the Wednesday character that many love. She has black pigtails, bangs that are called ‘curtain bangs', painted eyelashes, feathered eyebrows
and freckles. Her black velvet dresshas a white sateen Peter Pan-style collar and long sleeves. The
dress features an embroidered pattern that looks like a floral print and has
interesting black buttons. She wears black tights and panties and shiny black
patent kitten-heel Mary Jane-style shoes. Her accessories include a Thing figurine, two bags
of piranhas and a fake silver-colored obsidian necklace.
Better Homes and Gardens predicts that, at least in part because of the popularity of
Wednesday, this Halloween will see a trend to “dark academia, gothic,
Victorian, and downright spooky style and decor.” I agree and think that this
doll would make a great part of anyone's Halloween decor collection. Plus, because of the fact
that it is a limited-edition doll, I believe that it will increase in
value in the years to come.
UNBOXING VIDEO
Here's a short video unboxing of Wednesday:
BUY WEDNESDAY
Since Wednesday is sold out, you will have to look to resellers to find her. Click here to find your Wednesday Addams American Girl doll on eBay. If you can get your hands on one of these dolls, you’ll be doing the Wednesday Dance for sure!
OTHER MERCHANDISE
Other Wednesday
Addams toys have included a Monster High doll and a Fisher-Price Little People figurine
set. You will find thousands of new, used and vintage Wednesday Addams-themed merchandise on eBay by clicking here. I even saw a pair of Dr. Martens Wednesday
themed boots!
Don't miss out on the Wednesday merchandise at Amazon, either! Click here to see the collection there.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
My cute blue owl design is one of those designs when I just have a general thought in mind, which is one of my favorite ways to create.
I find it more freeing, and I am especially pleased when it turns out really well, i.e. to my liking. That is not always the case. But it did happen for the blue owl design.
I began with a general sketch of an owl and then continued using my paint brush. One side looked bigger than the other; no problem, I just made adjustments and continued with the flow. That is what is so great about it; designing this way, I get to go with the flow. And like I said, sometimes it turns out really well.
My first cutesy product that I made was general in nature, a Hello postcard was first.
Then I made three birthday products with my blue owl painting. Approximately two weeks after my creations, six of the Hello postcards were sold. Yay. I didn't give it much thought and went on to whatever else I had going on.
It wasn't until over a year later that a set of my blue owl birthday stickers sold. This time, it got my attention. 'I should see what kind of owl items are being purchased on Zazzle.' Wrapping paper was one of them, and I had already designed a blue owl product on tissue paper. Okay, that's it. I'll make a birthday suite featuring this cute, adorable, blue owl.
And sometimes, that is how it goes for me. I don't always have everything planned from the start. It just kind of unfolds in due time.
This is how my flow unfolded for this Cute Blue Owl Birthday suite. Hope you like it. The products include wrapping paper, tissue paper, paper napkins, paper plates, birthday invitations, and more.
If there is an additional product that you would like me to add it to, let me know in a comment below.
Cheryl Paton
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Alright everyone, just in case you didn't notice, it is now October and the seasons are a changing! It means that the daylight hours are getting shorter and our habits are changing as well.
When it's cooler in the morning, there is something magical about nice warm bread with your morning cup of tea or coffee.
When the seasons change we just change right along with them. Baking seems to be the one thing that my other half just enjoys so much more in the cooler months. I guess I can't blame him. Who would want to be in a hot kitchen when it's 80 or more outside?
So now that the temperature is dropping, the oven doesn't seem like the enemy any more.
So quite often I am awakened to the smell of fresh baking bread and like a zombie, I find my way into the kitchen to see what is going on. The oven door is open and a fresh loaf of bread is cooling on the rack. I think I have died and gone to heaven.
Now here is the problem, both of us have issues with slicing bread nicely. When you want a sandwich, you want some bread and some filling. We tend to get lots of bread and a little filling. There is no consistency to how thick or thin the slices are.
Well leave it up to him to find a solution. Did you know that there are bread slicing guides that can make slicing bread easier? Well there are and they are a great solution to our problem. With this bread slicing guide, you can have uniform thin slices or you can still have thick ones too ( if that's your choice ).
Your fingers are never too close to the blade and the crumbs just drop within the slicer so that the mess on the table or counter is minimized. And you get bread crumbs too! It is a win-win situation.
It has lots of slots in it so that whatever type of bread you are trying to slice, your slicing guide is adjustable to fit the loaf or baguette or bagel that you choose to cut! It is adjustable to suit whatever size loaf you put in it.
Some of the features of this slicer is:
dishwasher safe
durable, made of high quality plastic
non slip base
easy to assemble
So far this little helper has been a life saver for us. Now we can have our bread in nice uniform slices without any stress or guessing. Every time we have used it, it has proven itself a winner.
You can get yours here on Amazon or you can choose another style that will suit your needs. Just know that once you have one of these, you won't go back to eyeballing how thick or thin your bread slices will be!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Autumn is one of my favourite times of year. I love the still warm yet mellow sunshine, the quieter days and slowing down of nature, the still long days but earlier nights, the sound of the rain and the slight crispness in the air.
It all marks a transition time in the garden, there are still gorgeous vibrant autumn flowers and lots of green leaves and activity, yet we are very much leaving summer behind with every passing day. There are more seedheads and rosehips and berries in our gardens. In this time there are some key jobs we need to do now in the garden to clear, prepare and organise to get ready for winter and the spring to come.
1. Tidying Up The Garden(with caveats.)
I usually start my autumn tasks with taking stock of what I have and what did well and what did badly. I also clear out some of the old plant material and do some cutting back. In this clearing phase I am very mindful of nature and that we do need to leave lots of cover for insects and small creatures so they can live and survive the autumn and winter. So I tend to curate the tidying up and only do what is absolutely necessary.
I do clear out all the annuals from pots. They have grown, boomed, faded and set seed and completed their cycle. The plant itself can be discarded or put on the compost heap. I tend to tip out any loose compost onto the garden soil. Then I clean out all the pots.
With the Perennial flowers I prune them back for tidiness where needed, but leave as many seedheads and stalks for wildlife to feed on and hide in during the winter months. These can always be tidied up in the spring for a neater look.
Do be careful what you prune though, many plants and shrubs should not be pruned right now as any new growth or exposed branches may be susceptible to frost. Spring flowering shrubs should not be pruned now or you will be cutting off all the flowers. If in doubt leave them now.
If I had a greenhouse I would now bring in tender plants, but instead I start getting out my fleece to cover these plants for the winter.
All my evergreens are pruned now so that they will maintain their shape throughout winter and as they are the backbone of the garden in winter its important they look nice.
It won't be very long before leaves start turning all their beautiful colours and then falling to the ground. I tend to leave these leaves in the borders where the worms will do their thing and take them in to the soil and above soil leaves will provide shelter for tiny insects.
However I do clear leaves from the paths where they could become soggy in the rain and slippery underfoot. I also clear them from any gravel and the garden lawn as they are not good for the grass where they can cause fungal disease and in gravel they just look messy as they decompose.
Flowers like forget me nots are way past their best now. Do not just cut them down though. They can be lifted and divided then replanted in new places around the garden to make a bigger better display next year. Lift the whole clump, divide it gently with your hands being careful to gather enough of the root system and replant about a foot apart in new locations.
2. Caring for Lawns and Grass
Spring and Autumn are key times for lawn care and renovation. In many ways now Autumn is a better time.
Our spring was so dry that although i sowed new grass seed with the lack of rain it made watering a time consuming chore and then we had four heatwaves which scorched the grass and turned a large part of it brown. As we had a hosepipe ban we could not water it, but I knew that most grass recovers once it gets some rain.
So now in Autumn there is a chance to nurture the grass again and give it a better chance to recover. I start with scarifying the soil, so raking it with a lawn rake, which gets rid of all the dead thatch.
Then I use a fork in the soil every few inches to aerate the soil. After that a lawn feed is a good idea and it sets the lawn up for a good season.
Autumn is also the time for a final cut of the lawn. We hardly mowed our lawn this year due to the hot sunny weather and heatwaves. However now it has had some rain and grown and greened up we can give it a light trim before winter. I prefer to use a manual lawnmower and review the drawbacks and benefits here
3. Planting Plans
Autumn/Fall is a good time to review our planting in the garden and I usually increase my stock and plant beautiful spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths during September and October. If you grow vegetables it is time to sow over wintering onions and garlic which are a good crop and useful in the kitchen. Tulips should be planted a little later during October and November.
I love doing this as although we rapidly approach winter, it is an act of joy that soon after Spring will arrive.
We have enough established shrubs and roses now. However, if you are wanting to plant any shrubs, hedges, trees or roses, it is more economical to buy bare root varieties now and plant in Autumn so that they can establish well before the winter and then they will settle and start to grow well in the springtime.
It is also a good time to move established shrubs that need moving to a better place to give them time t establish and then grow on in Spring. Even if it is rainy do always settle them in with a good drink of water and if there are dry spells you may need to keep watering yourself for a while. Always water deeply to make sure it reaches the roots.
4. Mulching Borders
For borders it is a good idea to lay down a good mulch now to protect plants and nurture the soil. Mulch can be organic like bark or compost or inorganic like pebbles or slate compost to name a few options.
Just ensure you mulch a couple of inches deep and keep a few inches of space around the base of any shrub and trees stems or trunks. More Information OnReviewing The Benefits Of Garden Mulch
5.Pruning Shrubs, Hedges And Roses
At this time of year I prune my tea and shrub roses, this is not the big prune but rather just a light cutting back so that they do not get caught up in the wind and suffer root rock as they sway. Therefore prune about a third off the top with secateurs or loppers. However if you like the rose hips you will need to leave them or prune very lightly
For climbers I do prune off any long whippy stems I don't want in September. This is mainly to prevent them from flying around in the wind and becoming a hazard. A little later on I will be tying in the stems I want and recreating the framework for beautiful roses next year.
For pruners nearly every gardener has their favourites and it is very personal. You need to balance grip, weight, cutting power, ease of use and comfort overall. For me I like the Fiskars and the Wolf ranges.
Hedges that could not be cut before due to birds nesting are now perfectly fine to prune back and Autumn is a good time to do it so it stays tidy all winter.
Looking after or caretaking wildlife to me is a crucial part of
gardening. Here in UK we are losing so much natural habitat that nature is increasingly reliant on our gardens to survive.
While August is a very quiet time in our garden for birds, come September and October they start coming back into the garden. It is a great idea to have a birdbath as water is more important than most of us realise.
Birds, insects and small mammals become more reliant on our gardens for food sources. This can be food we put out in bird feeders to the berries and seeds and roots in our gardens. In UK Hedgehogs require shelters such as log piles, leaf litter or bespoke hedgehog houses to live in during the colder months.
Insects and spiders need wild areas to shelter in and hunt from. So hollow stems of flowers, seed heads, leaf litter on soil it all helps them to live. So it hugely benefits these creatures to not be too tidy in our gardens.
Some people have said to me that gardening ends in September, but for me there is such a lot to do in order to help wildlife, keep the garden looking good and healthy and safe for us.
Autumn/Fall is a lovely time to be outside, nice and cool, with often some mellow sunshine and lots of wildlife to watch and plants to find in our gardens to fascinate us.
Reviewing Six Key Gardening Tasks To Do In Autumn By Raintree Annie
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