Autumn garden clean-up is not just a chore — it’s also a great chance to get some exercise before winter freezes our backsides off. The best time? Late September to early October — when it’s not yet raining non-stop and the mosquitoes have finally packed up and left. The plan for this period: pruning plants, pulling weeds, digging in the soil, and generally getting the little garden ready for its winter sleep.

Today the weather was perfect, so I cheerfully announced to my wife that I was off to butcher the strawberries. Yes, you read that right — butcher. They need to be trimmed at the end of summer so they can grow fresh leaves before the frost arrives. This way, they won’t freeze and will give better yields next season. And since strawberries are my sweet addiction, I’m also counting on a few extra runners.

In the meantime, I’m tinkering with some of my old blog posts, giving them a second life. A little lift here, a touch of powder there — but no botox — they’ll all be back. It might take a while, but as people say — better late than never.

So let’s save those plants from the frost!