County Extension

Hopefully, the tough economic times haven’t pushed you to the brink like George Bailey contemplating the plunge into the icy water in the classic 1946 movie. Times are pretty bad, but just as George comes to understand, we do have a wonderful life here in southeastern North Carolina. 

While I’m certainly not trying for my wings as your guardian angel, I do have some suggestions for simple, low-cost things you can do in the garden that won’t require signing your life away at the building and loan.

If you’re like me and get bored pretty easily, you may be wondering what to do in the garden now that mowing and battling weeds is slowing down. Of course, there’s always football, basketball, hockey, eating too much and all of those parties and family get-togethers during the holiday season to look forward to, but there’s nothing more therapeutic than getting some dirt under those fingernails. 

Plants from the genus Osmanthus are great large, evergreen shrubs to add to your landscape. Give them a bit of room and they’ll reward you with dark green foliage and tiny white flowers that will perfume your garden. In our area, consider Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans), Holly Tea Olive (Osmanthus heterophyllus) and Fortune’s Osmanthus (Osmanthus x fortunei).

Shorter days and cooler temperatures have finally arrived. We don’t have to mow as much because the grass is slowing down. Trees and shrubs are losing their leaves and getting prepared for the winter dormant period. And, sports fans are enjoying the baseball playoffs leading up to the grand finale—the World Series.

Somewhere between watching the boys of October and trying to figure out the craziness that is the Bowl Championship Series, you need to give your irrigation system a bit of attention.