Fall Chores Begin - 2019 Edition

All growing season, as far back as Spring, the dreaded time has been looming...

How to deal with all the shiso?  There was just too much to eat through Spring and Summer.  Now, the Fall dilemma: Seek and destroy in advance next year's weedy overabundance, or leave the seed heads to feed the birds?  As soon as the flowers began to appear, my goal had been to go in with scissors and snip the buds before they went to seed.  But between vacation, then getting ready for leave, then recuperation, it got to be too late.  Now there are seeds.

And the seeds brought birdie visitors to stop in and dine - a male house finch, according to Google photos and various sites.

The naturalists say to leave the seed heads.  Sissy agrees; she says this is supposed to be a very harsh Winter, and the birdies will need all the sustenance they can get.  Don't relish the thought of starving birdies.  So, next Spring's weeding and shiso culling and consumption will just have to be particularly aggressive.  Oh well.

Then there was the windblown mess from the recent rainy nor'easter.  One of the gutter planters that had been unused all season came toppling down.  It will stay on the ground until Spring.  Then, hopefully, portulaca or poppies.... to be determined.