Good morning. Well, we cannot avoid it any longer — it is fall.

The hydrangeas are in full bloom as are the dahlias, if you didn’t get an early frost where you live. The apple orchards are bustling with happy people; and in the marshy areas, the signs of red can no longer be ignored.

And this column, I am sorry to say, will be the last of the season.

This is always a difficult column to write and always bittersweet. As much as I look forward to a break from gardening chores and putting extra time into mountain hikes and apple picking and bringing flowers into the house, it also means the white stuff isn’t that far away. It seems with each passing year the onset of fall and, hence, the looming winter becomes harder to take in stride.

As always, my last column is a list of things to do or, if you choose, not to do before the hard frosts blacken all the gardens.

If you do have those hydrangeas blooming at your house, don’t forget to cut some and dry them to brighten up the house. When the cold nights bring out the green with the pink, it is time to cut. I suggest cutting a few and two or three days later, cutting a few more. That way, the color varies nicely in the bouquet.

I have discovered that the new blue-bloomed hydrangeas like Endless Summer do not dry as well. They will dry and retain their color, however, if you wait for the very late season blossoms. They seem to be drier for some reason. You can tie and hang them upside down for a couple of weeks, but it isn’t necessary. You can place them in the vase where they will stay for the winter and just keep them out of direct sunlight and bright indirect light for a few weeks. Two or three tied with a ribbon make a wonderful addition to a special gift package and a small bouquet in a pretty vase makes a lovely gift. So if you have a lot of blossoms, don’t scrimp on cutting them because the frost is going to take them anyway.

What to do about dahlias
For those with dahlias, don’t dig the bulbs until the foliage is blackened by frost. Then cut off the tops, dig the bulbs and let them dry. I learned a new trick at a workshop this year that may be helpful. Once you have the bulbs out of the ground, take a shish kebab skewer and puncture into the attached stem ends. This allows any water in the stem to be released, aids the drying process and is one more protection to keep the bulbs from rotting while they are stored. After the bulbs are dry, brush off as much dirt as possible, sprinkle them with bulb dust and pack them in vermiculite, peat moss, packing peanuts or your chosen medium. Put them in a cool, but above-freezing, area that is dry and dark. Mark your calendar for next spring so you don’t forget to retrieve them.

You should have stopped feeding your roses by mid-August. Once the frost hits, gather up all the dead leaves and debris underneath them, and dispose of them. Insects and fungi tend to overwinter in this debris. Once the ground is pretty well frozen, add some green sand and cover the base of the rose with compost. Next spring when things begin to thaw, the nutrients in the green sand will give your roses a good start and the compost can be spread over the ground around the roses, adding nutrients to the soil and keeping down the weeds.If you choose to cut back plants, it is easier after the first frost and you will have much less work to do in the spring. If you choose not to cut them back, that is fine as well, but you will have more work next April and May.

If you have certain plants that are precious to you, it is better to be safe than sorry. After the ground freezes, mulch them heavily. I know many folks out there have gotten a bit lax with this particular activity because two winters of big snow have made you feel safe. If you believe almanacs, it will be a very cold winter; but according to the National Weather Service, it won’t. I haven’t seen any real predictions on amounts of snow. If we have lots of snow, the garden will survive quite nicely even if it is terribly cold. But if we get the cold and not a lot of snow cover, plants will be lost. Mulching is not designed to keep your plants from freezing. Actually, it is meant to keep them frozen. Our legendary January thaw is not good for your garden plants; and when we get extended periods of warmth in January and February followed by a return of the cold, shifting layers of ice under the soil, formed by thawing and refreezing, can literally cut the roots from the plants. It also can lift plants out of the ground. The mulch is designed to keep these things from happening.

Your rhododendrons will appreciate an application of Wilt Pruf before the winter cold sets in. It is an anti-transpirant, which means it helps prevent water loss. Most rhododendrons and large-leaved evergreens that die do so in the spring. It isn’t the winter temperatures that kill them; it is the lack of water. Every time it warms and the rhododendron leaves rise up from their wilted frozen position, this takes moisture from the plant. The Wilt Pruf protects the leaves from losing that moisture. And although we had a terribly wet summer, September is proving to be very dry. If this continues, make sure to get at least two inches of water per week onto the rhodies until frost hardens the ground.

Now is the time to bring in the bird feeders and clean them really well with soap and water. A dip in Clorox water will also help kill any nasties that may have accumulated in the feeders.

Plant for spring — and the holidays
Several nurseries and supply stores have bulbs in stock now. It is time to plant daffodils, crocus and tulips for next spring. It is also time to lay in a supply of paperwhite narcissus for the Thanksgiving table and an amaryllis to welcome the Christmas holidays.
It takes only about three to four weeks for the paperwhites to grow and bloom, and about four to six weeks for the amaryllis, so time your planting accordingly. When you buy paperwhites and amaryllis, don’t forget those special people in your life who might appreciate beautiful flowers for the holidays. Living things, especially blooming plants, make wonderful gifts in the gray bleakness of November and the stark white of December.

If you haven’t cleaned out your outside plantings, don’t forget that many of those herbs and flowers can be cut back, repotted and brought in to brighten up the house over the winter months. I always use geraniums in my pots and although they have not reached their full potential this summer with all the cold and rain, they will flourish in my southern windows and bring cheery color to the house this winter.

Many of the plants sold for pots are actually perennials that won’t take the cold, but they will continue to flourish inside. This is true of many of the small artemisias that end up in summer arrangements, many types of begonias and many herbs such as, are you ready, “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.” I purchased a Kent’s Beauty ornamental oregano this spring that is beautiful and will take up residence in the house as will many asparagus ferns, tirella begonias and bougainvilleas. If you have asparagus ferns mixed in with other plantings, separate out the fern when you dump them and you will notice little bulbs. These bulbs are what the fern grows from and you can repot a few or many, and they just keep growing in the house in both direct and indirect bright light.
Until next time, enjoy the bright blue of the autumn sky because it is the prettiest of the year; pick some apples and make something yummy; enjoy the upcoming holidays; and celebrate family and friends. Stay safe and warm, help your neighbors when you can and I will see you soon if “God is willin’ and the creek don’t rise.”

Jody Goodwin has been gardening for more than 25 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 jodyike@megalink.net.

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