Good morning! It is the time of pumpkins, kale and mums and this is the one column I always find difficult to write. It is bittersweet because when I say goodbye to all of you, I am also saying farewell to flowers, hummers, bumbles and songbirds.

The outdoor scenery, temperatures and our daily activities change so thoroughly each fall. Things slow down. Weekly concerts stop on the green, loons fly away to the sea, songbirds seek warmer climes, children disappear into school buildings (taking their uninhibited laughter with them) and we are left to other pursuits.

So green doesn’t totally disappear, I fill my house with plants and flowers.

And with those plants in my house comes a large population of ladybugs.

They will be invading soon. For those of you who do not welcome them, please be patient. They gather around windows and come through open doors, usually in numbers. They are seeking a place to sleep for the winter. If you want them gone, simply take a paper bag, brush them into it and put them back outdoors. Please don’t spray them or kill them. They are good for your garden and represent a healthy environment. Please be kind.

There are many garden chores to be done now, depending on how much energy you have left. Perennials can be cut back so they will be ready to begin again in spring. But they will survive quite well if you don’t feel so inspired. If you put in new plants this summer, stick some markers by them so you don’t “weed” them away come spring.

Daffodils and dahlias

If your tulips or daffodils didn’t bloom so well this spring, they probably need to be dug up and replanted where there is more room to grow. Pick a sunny afternoon, dig out to the sides of the bed by five or six inches and work your way in with your fingers. This way you won’t end up mistakenly destroying some bulbs. Just pull them up, separate them and lay them on the ground. Work the ground down to about 8 inches if you can, add in some compost and replant. You will probably need to have another space ready for the extra bulbs you will get, especially if it has been more than three years since you did this. If you interplant daffodils, which deer do not like, with tulips, this will help protect the tulips.

I have included pictures of this year’s dahlia crop. I encourage those of you who have never tried them to put them on your list for next year. They always save fall for me and supply the house with gorgeous bouquets until frost. For those who grow them, remember to let the frost blacken the foliage before you dig them up. It used to take me forever when I dug them because I labeled the bulbs for next year’s planting. Now I simply label them as tall, medium and short and put a notation if they need to be staked. This is much more efficient and less of a drawn-out chore.

If you use my system, simply place them into labeled trays as you dig. I hose them off, place them in ventilated trays and put them into the garage to dry for three to five days. When the bulbs are no longer cold, they are ready to be packed. If you leave them too long, they will dry out too much and will not overwinter. If you use the old method, place them in containers with peat moss or pack them in cardboard boxes wrapped in newspaper and sealed with tape.

No matter what method you use, these steps are necessary: dust them with bulb dust, put them in a dark, cool and dry place where it will not freeze, and write a note for next spring to remind you where they are.

If you have roses and/or peonies, make sure to clean any leaf debris out from under and around them. Insects and fungus overwinter in that debris and will reappear in spring if not cleaned away. Peonies need to be cut back to about 1 inch after frost. Do not mulch them; they don’t like it. Roses can use some phosphate and green sand spread around their bases and then 3 or 4 inches of compost after the ground freezes. With the spring thaw, they will get a good boost before you even get into the garden. Compost spread in the spring will enrich the soil, give the roses nutrients and keep weeding to a minimum.

If you have roses that might not winter well, dump compost into the center of the plant after the ground freezes so it forms a protective cone over the root stock. If we have a bitterly cold winter with no snow cover, this might just save your rose bush. This also works with any woody plant that might not winter well. Just remember to get out there fairly early in the spring to pull that compost off so sun and rain can get to the plant.

Mulching plants isn’t meant to keep them from freezing. Its purpose is to keep the ground from thawing prematurely and then refreezing, which can be disastrous to plant roots. If thawing occurs, sometimes layers of ice remain in the soil. When they refreeze, these layers shift and literally cut off plant roots. This is why mulch should be added AFTER the ground freezes. Usually mid-November is perfect.

Mulching is a good idea for any new shrubs or plantings that went in this season. If shrubs have survived three or more years, they do not need to be mulched unless they are tender roses. If we have a snowy winter, the snow acts like a blanket over plants and all is well. However, if we get bitter cold temps, ice or little snow on the ground, plants suffer. So, perhaps, the old adage “better safe than sorry” applies in this situation.

If you don’t have compost for mulching, there are many handy alternatives. You can use pine needles, but they do add a great deal of acid to the soil. Blueberries love them, hydrangeas not so much. Leaves can be used as mulch, but should be shredded. Just run the lawn mower over them to shred them; this works especially well if you have a mower with a bag.

This fall, I planted my first iris. According to info I obtained, irises need to be covered with sand. Since I don’t keep a pile of sand around, I am going to use some leaves with pine boughs over them. Whatever you use, make sure it comes off early in the spring.

Now, about the bulb dust I mentioned — that is exactly what it’s called and you can get it at the Paris Farmer’s Union, which usually has phosphate as well. They sometimes have green sand, but Longfellow’s in Manchester always has it. If you want to protect your rhododendrons from winter winds, get Wilt Pruf, which you spray onto the leaves in October on a day with temps of at least 55 degrees. Many of the small farm supply stores have it as does Gammon Landscaping Nursery in Auburn. Make sure your rhododendrons are well watered between now and freezing. Their survival depends on having enough moisture to last all winter, and Wilt Pruf helps them retain that moisture.

After the ground freezes, you can fertilize lilacs; and when spring comes, they will get a boost just when they need it to form flowers.

Until next time, stay safe, keep watch over your neighbors, make an apple pie and maybe share another with a friend, and enjoy the holidays. Spring will come again and I will see you then “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 dog and two cats. She may 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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