Great idea, Janie. The Time as soil-maker technique has worked well for me. If you're able to toss on some organic fertilizer before covering your piles the process will be enhanced.

Most of the veggie gardens are now clear, and I hope to get some mulch on the beds after a hard freeze or two. I have several beds of young beets, kale, carrots, spinach, and chard planted as well as the mature beds of the same. I've put row covers over them and will add plastic over the covers so the young ones will grow for another month before resting over the winter and harvest can continue for much of the winter in the beds with more mature plants. Come spring we'll have early greens and sweet carrots.

I still have hundreds of potted perennials to replant, pots to clean and sort, greenhouse to clear and set up for spring planting...and ripe strawberries in the greenhouse.

Happy garden dreaming for next season...