Every October, I expect my husband to be outside tackling a huge list of autumn jobs. Instead, he starts with something much less exciting – and apparently much more important.
As I believe I have mentioned at least 1,000 times by this point, my husband is a professional gardener with over 20 years experience under his belt, so I’ve learned that when he says something needs doing in the garden, I probably shouldn’t argue. I may occasionally question his methods, but experience has taught me that there’s usually a very good reason behind them.
Still, I used to find it slightly (read: very) strange that one of his first jobs every October isn’t raking leaves, cutting back perennials, or giving the garden the sort of dramatic autumn tidy-up that makes everything look instantly neat.
Start October With This One Job
If you’re anything like me, the first few leaves on the lawn can trigger a sudden urge to find a rake, but my husband isn’t interested in making the garden look completely leaf-free the moment autumn arrives. (He firmly believes that leaf litter can provide shelter for overwintering insects and other wildlife, while gradually breaking down and adding organic matter to the soil).
He doesn’t cut everything down, either, as he says some perennials can be left standing through winter, particularly plants with useful seedheads or hollow stems. Those stems can provide shelter for insects, while seedheads can provide food for birds and add some much-needed structure to the winter garden.
The one job he does do, though? He cleans his garden tools, and then he sharpens them.
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It’s a job that doesn’t come hand-in-hand with a satisfying pile of leaves, or a dramatically shorter hedge. There isn’t usually a reason to snap a before-and-after photograph, either. Still, a well-maintained pair of pruners is considerably more useful when you’re about to spend the next few months pruning, cutting back and maintaining the garden.
That’s why my husband recommends cleaning and disinfecting garden tools in fall before putting them away for winter, and really take the time to make sure the tools you’re going to rely on are actually ready for the work ahead.
It doesn’t have to be a long and complicated process, either; he starts by removing dirt, dried plant material and sap from the tools, and anything particularly grubby gets a proper wash before the tool is dried thoroughly.
Then he looks at the blades. Are they dull? Rusty? Damaged? Is anything loose? Do the blades open and close properly?
If anything needs sharpening, he’ll do that next (this is not a man who is ready to accept that something might just be getting a little blunt). Finally, he makes sure that metal parts are lightly lubricated to help protect against rust, particularly if any of his tools are going into storage.
Sure, it’s not exactly glamorous work, but it’s the sort of boring maintenance that means you’re less likely to discover a rusty and blunt pair of pruners when you urgently need them.
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I think the biggest lesson I’ve taken from watching my husband garden for two decades is that, sure, there are leaves to deal with. Yes, there are plants that need cutting back, bulbs to plant, tender plants to protect and plenty of other jobs that depend on your climate and garden.
But do you know what? You really don’t have to attack the whole garden at once, because sometimes the smartest first job is simply making sure your tools are clean, sharp and ready for action.
Honestly, once they are, then all those October jobs suddenly become a little easier. And if my husband is right (which, annoyingly, he usually is – although I’ll never tell him so), that’s a much better place to start than grabbing a rake and trying to make the entire garden look tidy before Halloween.
