Did You Know?

Most people equate gardening with the spring season. But many plants do well planted in the autumn and will give you a head start on next season's foliage and flowers. Certain perennials, such as hostas and shasta daises, can be cut back or split at this time of year to give you a greater number of plants without wreaking havoc on the existing plants. Autumn is also the ideal time for planting bulbs, laying the groundwork for magnificent early spring color. Bulbs need vernalization, or time spent dormant during the winter, to flower properly when spring returns. Make sure you follow the directions for bulb depth and placement when planting. Also, after planting the bulbs, lay a piece of chicken wire over them and cover with soil or mulch to keep foraging squirrels at bay. Another thing to keep in mind this autumn is that those multicolored mums that you purchase for fall garden accents can be left in the ground through the winter. Come next summer they will begin to bloom again and provide color anew late into the season. Gardening experts say that many trees and shrubs also do well when planted in the fall, with the exception of birch trees, whicht are finicky in the fall.