Cluster of Surprise Lilies:

I wish I had all that mulching done. I am still planting pots.

Everything looks so good! You have done an amazing job, and I can well imagine you're tired after all that - wow!

Alex

Alex, I have a very short window not to get finished before it is too cold for me to be outside with my silly hands that have Reynaud's and don't behave well in weather that is very cool. I should have started sooner. It is shaping up, which is encouraging, and I am so glad I decided to give up one more large section of a back bed. I will probably let the rest that side go next year. I am going to be in a bit of trouble anyway, because I have a good many tulips cooling in a small refrigerator, and I will have to plant them in the cool. (I will keep coffee with me, and wear gloves an get some "Hot Hands" to use.

kay

Beautiful Kay! Looks so tidy. I mulched some yesterday, but I tend to plant my daylilies too close and they just don't look as good. We had gotten bags of mulch on clearance, and I had to load them in my little cart and pull it where I needed it. Had been loading 2 bags at a time, then thought 3 bags would be quicker. It took all I had to get that cart to budge, and I was going downhill on the driveway. Could not figure out what was wrong. Thought I would never get it the 100 foot or so where I needed it, but finally made it. Looked at it this morning, the tires were flat. Duh. They did not look flat when I was pulling it, but I could see the wheels were not turning. That should have given me a clue, but nope, just kept on pulling. Wrenched my back a bit, hurt this morning but seems ok this afternoon. Still, I did not get much of anything done today.

Kay, I recommend getting some Butane-fueled hand warmers like this: https://www.amazon.com/Zippo-40306-P-Hand-Warmer-2012/dp/B00G7S1Y9A. There are other ones besides Zippo, though that happens to be the brand I have. I have two - one for each pocket. Mine came with little fabric bags to slip them in, to mute the heat a bit, as they can get fairly warm. They actually have a fire smoldering inside them, and yes, they do last for several hours.

Alex

Nancy - flat tires - been there, done that!!!

This customer review is worth reading:

BeachBunny

5.0 out of 5 starsWorks great -- how come I'm just finding out about these now?

October 29, 2013

Agree with Mantis...wish I had it done. I seriously have a month of weeding that needs to be done! I have gotten so far behind I am not sure it will get finished. Any rain and wind from the hurricane, Kay?

Kate

Your beds all look wonderful. Hauling mulch is a lot of hard work. All our beds are overrun with weeds. Like Mantis, we are still planting the ones in pots.

I love your surprise lilies. We can grow only the light pink ones here. I like yours better.

Nancy

Thanks all. I had several hoursleft, but I was out of energy. Nancy, I have a big flat dish that I got from a garden on lie place and find it works better for me to drag the mulch in it...(.it has a rope attached and it scoots over the grass or my stepping stones) rather than using the wheel barrow.. I only pull one bag at the time though. Kate, we did not get wind but got about a half inch of much needed rain. It was funny. I was working on one half of the bed, totally dry and it was sprinkling on the other side of the bed. Surprised me. Nancy, those surprise lilies were here when we bought the house 20 years ago. Mantis, I wish I could wish the other beds done.

kay

Kay - You are doing far better than I am. I'm still planting this week, and only have one bed mulched. I wanted to lift plants and redo two of my raised beds, but there's not enough time for the plants to settle back in before hard freezes. So that will have to wait until Spring. I plan to mulch in November. Luckily, being from the North, I enjoy working in the cooler temps, I remember I was still mulching right around Thanksgiving last year.

Debra

Well, you have a plan. As you know, I have been doing a lot of moving out and moving new ones in. WE still have a good bit of warm weather, though not hot as it has been, There is very little left to do but mulch right now. I may have overdone it a bit yesterday, and elected to take an "off" day today. I will be planting tulips in the quite cool, but that is okay...I love to see them in the spring, so that is worth doing. I know your beds will be done in time. This is the time to think about the blooms next year. Looking though photos was fun today, looking for the poly photos for Sherrie's post.

kay

Hi Kay, you’ve got more energy, or is it determination than me! I still have some mulching and weeding to do. We have had an enormous amount of rain the past two weeks, it was just too wet to work or dig, three times the normal amount for this time of the year. Your beds look marvelous, can’t wait to see what you have blooming next season.

Sherry

Kay,

I'm so sorry to hear that you have Reynaud's. My brother in law has it and he goes to AZ for the winter [from PA]. Perhaps those hand warmers Alex suggested will help!

Your beds look great. I can't start mulching yet until the pine trees at church shed their needles for me to gather. But my beds are ready for them.

Those are really nice surprise Lilies. Mine are the pale pink kind. I've been slowly getting rid of them--there are way too many and they too were here when we moved in.

BTW, I'd love to see a posting [when you get time] of your Munson collection.

Brad