It's time to prepare the garden for winter

As the last plants finally die before winter, we may be tempted to think the garden is over, yet it is time to “hunker down," originally a Scottish phrase made popular throughout the American South, and eventually, like Southern cooking or good manners, it just seemed to spread to the rest of us.

And the garden isn’t finished until, in the words of Texas Tech sports information director Ralph Carpenter when the Aggies rallied for a 72–72 tie late in the SWC tournament finals: "Hey, Ralph," said Bill Morgan, "this...is going to be a tight one after all." "Right," said Ralph, "the opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings."

Well, it is a swan song for chrysanthemums once they stop blooming. Cut them to the ground and rake away all of the dead leaves and stems so no diseases or pests can survive over the winter.

Likewise, eliminate much of next year's disease in perennial beds such as peonies, roses and hollyhocks by cutting down all old stems and raking the area clear of any plant matter.

You can scatter some organic plant food around the beds or just mulch them with straw, grass clippings or leaves.

Mow your lawn one last time and apply a light dusting of compost to get the grass off to a good start next year. Natural corn gluten meal can be broadcast over the lawn to fertilize and cut down on weeds. Always water well after applying compost or corn gluten meal.

Look for bagworms hiding in trees and shrubs. Carefully remove and destroy any that you find to help cut down on next year's infestations.

After the ground freezes, you can apply an inch-deep straw mulch over the strawberries. Lay evergreen branches over the straw to help keep it in place.

Cut out and destroy any old or mummified fruit and berries. Rake all around any fruit trees to get rid of old leaves, branches and dead fruit that can harbor pests for next year.

In sports, opera and the garden, it’s never too early to plan for next season. Keep a scorecard of what you liked in this year's garden and what didn’t do so well. Order seed catalogs now for winter daydreaming, I mean garden planning.

If you haven’t done it yet, this is a good time to attract birds to your garden by putting out feeders and fresh water. Drill holes in a thick stick and smear peanut butter into the holes. Suet feeders provide needed energy. By attracting birds, you will naturally cut down on the number of pests and rodents.

Finally, in the garden, it is time for the final curtain. In the final scene of Richard Wagner's opera suite “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” valkyrie Brünnhilde, traditionally played as a very buxom lady with spear, shield and winged helmet, sings her 20-minute aria. She sings of the death of the Norse gods, so for them, like a garden in winter, it truly is over when the fat lady sings.