Late Summer Chores

The kids going back to school aren't the only ones that dread this time of year. Just about now every year, gardens begin to look a little worn.

And no wonder - what with the long hot summer of wear and tear, with a little vacation thrown in at which time the neighborhood kid helped maintain things. It's easy to see why gardens may be a little short on color and a little long on weeds about now. But don't worry, there are a few bits of advice to help spice up the garden for a whole new season.

What season? I call it "the in-between summer and fall season." Our weather is still warm, with Indian Summer temperatures. It's too warm to pull out summer bedding plants and replant with fall/winter ones like pansies, violas, calendula and Iceland poppies.

Instead, consider cutting back many summer annuals. Leggy petunias and impatiens, or bloomed-out geraniums can be cut back this time of year for a whole new round of blooms. Simply cut things back and provide a nice dose of fertilizer to make new growth get growing again.

Of course, you can buy a few new bedding plants for some instant color and to perk the garden up. Just don't go overboard this late in the season. You'll find that most nurseries are in-between seasons, too. Many benches will have summer bedding plants like petunias, marigolds and impatiens. But they'll also have the fall/winter flowers in, too.

If I had to choose, I would go for the fall/winter annuals this time of year. It may be a little too early for them, but it's better to be early rather than late. Planting brand new summer annuals this time of year is a waste of money,especially when you can usually coax another round of blooms from existing ones simply by cutting back and fertilizing.

You may be surprised at how much better your garden looks just by a little cleaning up, too.

Deadheading or cutting off old spent flowers will dramatically improve things without spending a cent. Pulling weeds, spraying Roundup on weeds growing between cement and trimming overgrown shrubs will also improve looks. Save major pruning for late fall and winter, but you can get a headstart on some overgrown evergreens and vines.

For instance, I have several grape vines in my garden. If I wait until all the leaves drop off to prune, I would have enough to fill numerous recycle bins. Instead, I cheat a little and start trimming them back this time of year. It doesn't hurt the plant any, and it takes some of the burden off me later.

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