Fall Chores (before Leaf Raking)

There are not enough leaves on the ground yet to make raking worthwhile. My husband chopped up the few around when he mowed the grass - probably for the last time this year. This morning I did the other chores that had accumulated:  

• Trimmed the bush that always seems to need a trim - one last time before winter. Keeping it short enough to trim without a step-ladder is the goal. I can just barely reach the middle of the top with the pruners while standing on my toes.
• One of the bushes in the front of the house had some branches from the base that were leaning too far to the side and were almost covering an azalea. I cut them off as close to the base as I could. The whole area looks better now and I won’t have to worry about snow weighing them down enough to crush the azalea this winter.
• The last chore was trimming the pyracantha. This bush rarely gets trimmed; the thorns are quite effective in discouraging close contact. I was motivated by the idea that the orange berries would show more if the bush was trimmed so the heavy gloves were found and the long handled pruners were retrieved. It didn’t take long and one scraggly branch that needed to be cut had a lot of berries. It looks great on the mantle above the fireplace: my reward for getting the fall chores done! 

Are you done with your fall chores too?