All of the sudden, here in upstate NY, summer is OVER! There were frost warnings further north, and it has been chilly and crisp last few days! If you have tender flowers still blooming, consider covering them at night to save them, we intuitively know that surely (ok, hint of doubt) summer will return with a vengeance! Not quite Indian summer, but late summer usually comes and lingers, then fall comes! A lot of people really love the total change in seasons, it is so beautiful when the leaves turn.

This time of year can be confusing to all of us, from where the sun comes in my window there is a distinct change as the days get shorter. Plants use light to tell them when it is time to shut down and get ready for winter.

Where I worked, we would be pulling all the annuals, no matter how well they were still doing, and get ready to plant bulbs. Or mums. I really love mums, the hardy ones I planted came back again and again, and it was a nice to watch and pinch them into shape during the summer, and then seeing them come into full bloom in late summer and fall. Needless to say, where I worked, sometimes annuals would be replaced by mums, which would then be replaced with bulbs.

Even tho’ it seems as tho’ it is time to start planting bulbs, do not get into too much hurry! Daffodils will start growing, and we do not want that, and tulips, altho’ they need some root starting time, need to watch for animals who love them as much as we do. It is recommended to plant DEEP, the cute little bulb planters are not deep enough to save the bulbs from the animals.

One thing that is good to do now is prune your evergreen bushes (but not the spring blooming ones like the rhodies) back into whatever shape you like. The Yews and Boxwoods are common hedge plants and should be prunned this time of year.

pic by http://www.flickr.com/photos/8525214@N06/