Things have been pretty quiet around here the last couple of weeks. Mostly because I was sick with pneumonia. And, we had several days of blessed rain. But also because it feels like a time of waiting in the yard. 

There are hundreds of seedlings popping up everywhere, which is so exciting! I go outside to check on them multiple times a day and do my best to shoo the neighborhood cats away from them.

But, for the most part … I’m not sure what the seedlings are. I mean, I know what types of wildflower seeds I scattered about, but I don’t remember exactly what I scattered where. It’s fairly easy to identify California Poppies and Elegant Clarkia by their tiny sproutlets, but a lot of the others are trickier. 

And, the same rains that resulted in an explosion of seedlings that I want to grow also triggered a carpet of weed seedlings. At this stage, it’s a little difficult to tell them apart. 

So I find that there isn’t too much for me to do in the yard right now. I have a few more packets of wildflower seeds I can scatter, and a California Pipevine (Aristolochia californica) to put in the ground, but I think mostly I need to wait and see what is what, how the established plants come back this year, and how many wildflower seedlings survive the munching of birds and slugs. 

What I can do is start planning what areas of the yard to target next for non-native plant removal. There are some bushes and trees that are touching the house that need to be cut back. And, I could spend hours lost in thought while I remove red wood chips by hand. 

But I am also fine with enjoying this time of short days by sitting in front of a cozy fire, baking various treats, decorating for the holidays, and looking forward to our upcoming trip home to Massachusetts. 

How do you make the most of this time of year?