The year is rapidly drawing to a close. Three more weeks and winter will officially start and with it the days grow longer again; something to look forward to. Then, a new year stretches ahead of us, full of potential.

Like most gardeners, I go through the occasional phase. Rose phase; been there, done that. Now my garden counts exactly one rose bush. Queen Elizabeth, a wonderful pink rose with foliage that fends off just about any diseases, which is exactly why those other rose bushes were dug up and tossed or went to rose-heaven.

Summer arrived full blast; it’s been hot and dry. Here and there sprinklers run. In other gardens lawns are getting parched. I use soaker hoses throughout most of my flowerbeds; rubber hoses full of little holes provide a trickle of water to plants. No longer does the water run off in all directions. It slowly seeps into the ground, providing thirsty roots with moisture. It is a more economical way of watering plants, although nothing provides a more thorough watering than Nature.