What a dry fall we’ve had in the Greenhorn Valley! I know Denver has had a little more rain and snow this fall than we’ve had, but, really, all along the Front Range it is dry. I’ve been watching the Jet Stream hold its northern pattern, hoping, waiting, praying for a change.
Meanwhile, the new perennials and trees I put in the garden over a month ago need water. I drug the hose around this morning, soaking them, soaking the roots. Even established gardens would enjoy a drink before the weather turns cold. Plants can’t absorb water when the soil is frozen, so now is the time to water, before arctic air brings below zero temperatures.
The warm, dry weather isn’t all bad. It’s made it easier for us to cover cold frames and greenhouses this fall. Here is one of the areas where we overwinter shrubs and trees:
We put white poly on this frame for the winter. We use white plastic because we don’t want the plants to overheat. Protecting them in this way allows them to start growing earlier in the spring–it gives us a jump on the season.
