Good morning. The colors of autumn are emerging, and it’s almost time to put the extra blanket on the bed. When the nights start getting chilly, it is definitely time to start thinking about fall chores in the garden. I know that many of you don’t want this reminder and, quite frankly, I would just as soon put my head under that blanket as start “putting the garden to bed.” But, you can’t change the seasons.

I hope you have been cutting those dahlias and filling vases with asters and zinnias as fast as you can. When that first hard frost comes and blackens the leaves, it is time to dig up and store the dahlia bulbs. To make it easier in the spring, pull out the asters and zinnias and any other annuals that are left, so you have blank spaces ready to fill when the snow is gone and the warmth returns.

When you pull them out, or if you want a nice autumn display in pots, think about getting some winter-hardy pansies, some garden mums and kale. All of them can withstand fairly chilly temperatures and you can have flowers until Halloween.

Throw a few pumpkins into the display and some bittersweet, and it gives you some color to enjoy instead of just raking the colorful leaves.

A ‘Martha’ thing

The last few years, I’ve been getting small- to medium-size pumpkins and doing a “Martha” thing. Sorry, I will apologize ahead of time for this one, but some of you might enjoy it. I do want you all to know, however, that I have a sign in my house that says, “Martha Stewart doesn’t live here – it’s a good thing.” Cut the top off the pumpkin to provide a good size opening and clean out the seeds and pulp. Make a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin (only if it will remain outside). Fill it with potting soil, plant a mum or kale plant and voila! instant autumn.

This is also the time to start cutting and drying those hydrangea blossoms for inside display. Cut them over a two-week period, if you can, because that way the colors will vary the longer they stay on the bush.

Now to the garden. In addition to digging up the dahlia bulbs and planting the tulips, hyacinths and crocus for next spring, you might want to complete a few chores that will help you a great deal in the spring.

Now is the time to cut back everything that has gone by and to mark those things that need to be mulched. You really don’t want to be mulching until the end of October or, better yet, the middle of November. The ground needs to be very cold, frozen a bit if possible, before you mulch.

Compost great for mulch

You can use pine needles, hay or compost for mulch. I use compost because in the spring, when I pull it off and back, I just leave it and those plants already have their spring dose. The hay and pine needles have to be removed.

I also put down any fertilizers or special spring remedies that those mulched plants might need before I put the compost on. Then as the snow melts in the spring, they get an early feeding. I try to get some greens and around the roses as well as super-phosphorus under the compost. I put pelletized lime on the lilacs after the ground freezes, and this gives them a good start since they are so early. You could add it after the snow goes but it is just one less spring thing to remember if you do it in November. I broadcast a 5-10-5 fertilizer for most of the perennials after the ground has frozen for that spring start as well.

The middle number is higher because it is phosphorus and helps root growth, which is what you want first thing in the spring.

Try to clean up all leaves and debris around the plants, if you can. Leaving them there provides a hiding place for various pests and spores. This is especially important if a particular plant or number of plants suffered from something this summer. After there have been several hard frosts, cut back peony stems to about an inch. That way you will see them in the spring and not step on newly unfurling greenery. Also, do not mulch peonies. They don’t like it.

If you have rhododendrons or azaleas, help them overwinter by getting some Wilt-Pruf. It is a spray for their leaves that helps them to retain moisture through the cold, wind and rewarming cycles of winter. Also make sure that they get several very heavy soakings before the ground freezes. Most rhodies are lost because they run out of moisture before the ground thaws.

Bring in houseplants

Now is also the time to get in any plants you want to winter over. If you put houseplants out for the summer, be sure to spray each of them with insecticidal soap two to three times, wash down the pot and don’t forget the bottom of it, and clean all debris from the soil surface. Do any pruning or cutting, give it a good bath with the hose and bring it in before the frost gets it. If any of you managed to find tirella begonias for your summer pots, they do winter over quite well. It is usually best to cut them back by about a third, put them in an inside pot with fresh soil and water regularly. They do require some eastern or southern light. When they start looking bedraggled, usually about Christmas, cut them all the way back. By spring, they will be perfect to repot and go outside again. You can do the same thing with geraniums and many herbs. Rosemary does well in the house as do sage and parsley. Basil will last for awhile if it is repotted in very gravelly soil but don’t overwater it.

It’s also a good time to clean the bird feeders in preparation for winter and to replace any plant markers because by spring you might be saying, “What was it I planted there?”

So, until spring, I wish you all health, laughter and the joy of family and friends. Try to really count your blessings at the Thanksgiving table and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Until then, enjoy the clear blue skies and crisp air of autumn, rake a pile of leaves and jump right in just for the heck of it, take a walk and really look at the colors of the forest and, don’t forget, spring will be here before you know it!

Happy gardening!

Jody Goodwin has been gardening for more than 20 years. She lives in Turner with her husband, Ike, her two dogs and two cats. She can be reached by writing to her in care of the Sun Journal, 104 Park St., Lewiston, Maine, 04243-4400 or by e-mail at [email protected]