The end of the gardening season always brings up mixed emotions in me. Fall has always been my favorite season, and I welcome it. I also love the holidays and snow, and look forward to winter. (Ask me again in February and I'll be ready for spring, though!) I do a lot of planting and transplanting in the fall, so on the one hand, I am very happy for the break winter will provide. On the other hand, I wish I had gotten more accomplished this season.

I love how this native giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is all in seed except for one little late bloom.

Monica Milla | Contributor

I don't know about you, but I'm tired. My garden is fairly large and even though I choose low-maintenance plants, there's always a lot of weeding. And as plants grow, they need to be divided and possibly moved.

I don't feel I kept up with things very well this year. It was such a hot summer and I really don't work very well as a puddle. My weeds are still crazy and as much as I recommend to others to get weeds pulled in fall so the seeds don't drop and create even more weeds, the reality is, it's not going to happen for me.

I had also meant to dig edges around my garden beds this season, so the "lawn" (mostly weeds; I don't fertilize or use weed killers as I live 20 feet from a creek and am an organic gardener besides) wouldn't encroach on the beds as much, but that didn't happen either. (For me, edging is out of the question because the cost would be astronomical for anything I could stand the look of, as I have probably half a mile of edges, and I also want something I can mow along without needing to go back and weed whack.)

I dug out five fairly large junipers, which were originally planted around the base of a tree. But that tree had to be cut down a few years back and now what used to be a low edge was shading out everything else.

I also dug out two good-size barberries which are invasive in this area.

I also have an ongoing struggle with buckthorn and poison ivy removal at the edge of my property that borders a natural area.

I finally got everything I wanted planted this season in the ground. Some poor plants had been waiting in pots since June. A friend calls this plant abuse, and I can't deny it.

In a mature garden, it's not an easy matter of just digging a hole and plopping in the plant. I often have to dig something else out to make room first. And struggle with the large roots of trees in the nearby nature area.

So a few things are in the ground in a temporary holding area, and I'll decide where they go in spring. I also have two even larger junipers that are coming out in spring, which will make a little more room.

I've harvested all veggies (except some eggplant that are still hanging on, despite two soft frosts). I brought in tropical houseplants several weeks ago, and a few days ago made divisions of garlic chives, parsley and coleus, potted them up and brought them inside to use or enjoy over winter.

Of course, there was elation in the garden this year, too. Overall, I love getting my hands dirty and find being in the garden relaxing. I love growing a little of my own food, especially heirloom tomatoes. I tried a few new varieties this year and simply adored "Tiger-Like" and "Japanese Black Trifele." Adored! My queen of the prairie, prairie smoke, and hellebore bloomed for the first time this year. My wild south bed is really filling in with natives. I met and traded plants with a lot of gardening friends this year. I finally pruned my completely overgrown dogwood and ninebark shrubs. There is some order amidst the chaos.

I'm sure you are thinking of similar challenges and triumphs in your own garden this season --leave a comment to let me know what they are.

Also, my blog entries now appear on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays.

Monica Milla, the Garden Faerie, is a master gardener volunteer, garden speaker, garden coach and author of "Fun with Winter Seed Sowing."