Honeydew List - Before Winter Sets IN

• As perennials die back remove dead leaves. Trash or compost the cuttings.


• Put down the mulch- 4 inches is good.


• Be sure plants that can't take the wind or weight of snow are securely staked or tied to a fence. Or cut them back if they don't mind the pruning.


• Once the cold is here use paper tree wrap around the trunks of young and tender trees to protect them from the cold. Use spiral cut plastic sleeves to protect from gnawing critters. Build little forts around your roses - use branches, pine needles, anything to cut the wind.


• Now that trees and shrubs are dormant it's safe to plant new or transplant. Give them a good drink of water once in their new home. Stake them since their roots aren't attached to the surrounding soil yet. You don't want them rockin' & a-rollin' in the winter wind.


• Use fall fertilizer for your lawn - one that promotes root growth.


• Keep fallen leaves off plants and lawn - they'll cut out the sun and kill your plants. Mulch them if you can for use next year. If you can, mow the lawn to chew up any leftover leaves.

Autumn in Pennsylvania

wild turkeys in the back yard

Fall is definitely here. The roofs (or is it rooves?) and grass were all frosty this morning at the bus stop. A heavier coat and mittens were in order. I will probably mow the lawn one last time next week.

Just about everyone has mums on their porches (except me). I love mums just as much as the next person but it's the only thing you see- mums, mums and more mums! I like variety. Home Depot and Lowe's offer nothing but mums! A person could have nightmares about mums!

The rebel in me put mums in the backyard rather than the front. The cheapskate in me planted them to come up year after year rather than buying new ones each year. Besides- they'll eventually get HUGE! Right now they are the size of soccer balls and a nice yellow color.

Because it breaks my heart to throw out any living plant (even cuttings when pruning) I still have impatiens on the porch. They are pink and huge and beautiful. I guess the way my home is laid out, they are protected from the cold. I can't throw them out until they are done sharing their beauty with me.

Footnote - I hate it when malls and businesses dig up and throw out perfectly good plants just because they are in the mood for something new to match the season. I wish I could rescue them!

One plant I love for the fall, that will survive the winter, is Japanese Daisy aka Nippon Daisy. It's a bush and the flowers are white daisy-like. The leaves are succulent. The stems can't take the heavy weight of snow so I cut mine back once the flowers are gone so that it's the main stem and then the branches are maybe 4 inches long. And it's easy to root cuttings (and you know I did)! I bought one small plant about 10 years ago. I now have 4 large bushes. The flowers bloom in the fall. My mom asks me to email her pictures of them every year.