Final Grass Cutting for 2012

It is cold out today, a typical grey and overcast November day here in beautiful Ontario, Canada.   The forecast is for clouds breaking for some sun but there hasn't been much in the way of sun for the past few days.  Our front yard and garden bed look so bare as we did a major rip out, getting rid of a couple of umbrella trees, a small maple tree and a foo foo tree.  I don't know the name of the foo foo tree but you cut it right back to where it looks like a giant bone sticking out of the ground during the winter.  The silver birch we planted is doing good although most of the leaves are off of it.  I didn't get around to starting my naturalized crocus idea yet but there might be time before the snow flies.

One of my neighbours is out cutting his grass.  In my opinion, many cut their grass too short for winter.  I think it is best to leave it a bit longer even if it looks scraggly as this helps the grass over winter better.  Our backyard does need cutting but I think the front yard is fine.  He also trimmed up his bushes.  I'm only going to do a raking over where the original front garden bed was then leave it until spring while we decide what to plant there.  If the weather turns nice enough, I'll pull the plants from the west side of the house garden bed.  We are ripping that out as well, starting from fresh in the spring.