11/4/25  Many plants say, "Mulch me thick, mulch me warm—I’ll be dreaming under the soil till the thaw."

 .04 overnight rain.  Cloudy, a WNW wind, 43 degrees.  Partly cloudy today, strong, gusty WNW winds, high 49.  A strong WNW breeze tonight, clear, low 34.  Cloudy tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 47.  Rain tomorrow night, a strong NE breeze, low 38.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a strong NW wind, high 44.  A brisk west breeze Thursday night, low 28.  Mostly cloudy Friday, a SW breeze, high 41, low 37. Rain Friday night.  Shower Saturday, a west breeze, high 52, low 31.  Mostly cloudy Sunday with a WSW breeze, high 45.   Rain Sunday night.  Showers Monday, a stiff NNW breeze, high 43, low 24.  Partly cloudy next Tuesday, a west wind, high 35, low 27.  Partly cloudy next Wednesday, a stiff WSW breeze, high 40 low 30.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, a stiff WNW breeze, high 41, low 27,  Partly cloudy Friday the 14th, a stiff WNW breeze, high 40, low 27.  Mostly cloudy Saturday the 15th, a sw breeze, high 43, low 34.  Showers Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th, rain/snow showers Tuesday the 18th.

    Some plants, especially herbs, come from dry countries.  They don't like their roots wet.  I only put a light covering of straw on tender herbs like sage.  Others I don't cover at all.  I don't cut back the purple cone flowers until spring.  Birds eat the seeds, pollinators winter in the stems, the dead plant protects the roots.  I cut back peonies, hosta, and phlox, then I put some compost on them.  I cut back my hibiscus and buried it with straw.  I leave the stems 4 or 5 inches tall because hibiscus doesn't start growing until June even though I uncover the plant in May.  Sometimes we have some potted mums left.  Bekah either plants them or puts them down cellars.  The ones she plants she mulches well.  Lots of times she winds up with beautiful plants in the spring.

     Yesterday they planted garlic.  They mulched it with straw.  It was supposed to rain last night.  I'm afraid it didn't rain enough to keep the mulch from blowing.  They have put the hoses away.  Jay may be getting them back out to wet the straw.  Bekah has left to deliver a load of hay.  She checked Mabel about four this morning, no calf yet.

     May your day be blessed, Sally