The cold is coming

It's cold and clear and more cold is predicted for this week and next. That means get the dahlias mulched, dig the last potatoes, mulch the carrots, dig the beets. The dahlias are particularly tender and the only way to get them through even a moderate winter is a good deep mulch. 'This way I can leave them in the same bed for three years until the plants are too big to work around and the deep mulch not only protects them from frost but suppresses weeds and feeds them. They don't get any further fertilizer than just the rotted down mulch.