Fall Learning

This is what I learned this fall -
Never let your Siberian Iris go for 6 years without digging them up and
dividing them.

I dug out four clumps of Siberian Iris- 3 of which did not bloom well this year.
It took the spade and all my weight, which is on the heavy side, to lift those clumps. My muscles are still complaining today.
It is a reminder not to let things go too long without tending to them -putting stuff away where it belongs, filing, etc. I hate to admit it, but I often let things go too long before tending to them and there is that much more work and effort. I know far better than I do, as St. Paul reminds me.
I suppose that most falls I am busy with the starting up of the church program year. This year I am tending to my healing and trying hard to prepare my heart and soul and spirit to begin a new interim position. So, I've had time to tend to those things that have neglected for some time.
Lesson is getting learned.
I had hoped we would have made a move by now, and I wouldn't have had to dig them except for taking the few Iris I would have taken with me. Which in retrospect, I still would have had to dig them all up anyway, since I couldn't just dig up a few.
I replanted a much smaller amount of Iris complete with some fresh garden soil and some really crappy cow manure-organic matter made by a well-know fellow's name company. I can't believe I found plastic bag bits, a small stick, a few rocks (I have plenty of my own thank you very much! So many of my own that I can hardly find a place to dig anywhere!), some weeds that were already growing in it (again, I have plenty of my own growing wildly here!), and moss covered pieces. Course, I like moss, but not necessarily in my manure compound. I was very disappointed in this product, because we use the same company's fertilizer for our lawn and that has worked rather well. I should've been clued in by the .99 cent price. I thought it was just on clearance.
Lesson 2 - You get what you pay for. No more cheap priced cow manure for me!

I wasn't planning on planting anything, but the open area left by clearing out the Iris and the Pin Cushion plant debris cried out for something. I picked up an "Autumn Joy" Sedum which I know will outgrow its present spot. But I liked the crimson flowers and the color of the leaves - lighter green. I'm not a huge Mum fan and that's all you see these days around here at this time of year. So, I couldn't resist the Sedum.
Next, I will have to pull my tomato plants and let the green tomatoes finish ripening on the vines in the garage. I will harvest some sage, the parsley and cut down the chives. Then I will put down the Sweet Peet which was so good for the garden last Spring. It's pricey but very good. That's why it just goes in my herb garden and not the big flower beds out front.
Finally, I'll have to take down the flowerboxes and say good bye to the red geraniums and enjoy not dead-heading everyday.
Those were my two lessons this fall thus far. I'm sure there are more to come as the month goes by.