(ARA) – As fall harvest season begins, many gardeners find themselves with bushels of tomatoes, baskets of cucumbers and armfuls of lettuce. So when your garden is overflowing with produce, how do you make the most of your harvest?

Gardeners know that the best way to experience fruit and vegetables at their prime is to grow them in their own backyards or in community gardens. Some of the most popular veggies grown in the United States include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, beans, lettuce, corn and carrots, while the most popular homegrown fruits include apples, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.

The experts at ScottsMiracle-Gro offer some top tips to help you take advantage of your fresh produce:

* Harvest your food the same day you plan on using it. This ensures it will stay fresh and won’t dry out or wilt.
* Do your picking in the morning when fruit and vegetables are most fresh.
* Once you’ve picked your produce, store in a cool place and don’t wash until you’re ready to use it.

How do you know when your produce is ready to be pulled from the ground or plucked from the plant or tree?

* Tomatoes are ready to pick when they’re smooth, heavy, glossy and red or orange.
* When sweet peppers are between 3 and 4 inches wide and are firm, they’re ready to pick. The longer you leave them on the vine; they’ll turn red, yellow or orange and become sweeter.
* When your cucumbers are ready to come out of the garden, they’ll be firm and the spikes will easily rub off.
* When lettuce leaves are young and tender they’re ready for a tasty salad.
* Tasting apples is often the best way to know if they’re ready to pick, but you can also grab one and lightly tug. If it easily comes off the branch, there’s a good chance it would make a great snack.

One of the biggest challenges for gardeners this time of the year is having too much produce at the same time. In many cases, it’s simply too much to eat on your own. So this harvest season, ScottsMiracle-Gro is asking Americans to donate their extra produce to a local Feeding America food bank for their neighbors in need. One in eight people is at risk for hunger and, with record numbers of people turning to food banks, it’s more important than ever to contribute fresh, delicious and healthy produce.

To make sure your extra harvest doesn’t go to waste, visit GroGood.com to find and donate to your local Feeding America food bank.

“I believe that everyone should have access to fresh produce and the GroGood campaign allows Americans to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their gardens and share their extra harvest with others,” says celebrity cookbook author Katie Lee Joel. Inspired by her mom’s vegetable soup, Joel created this recipe for GroGood Garden Vegetable Soup to use produce fresh from the garden.

GroGood Garden Vegetable Soup

Makes eight servings.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped
1 pint Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 3/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped (can substitute a 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes with juice, chopped)
2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup baby lima beans
One 15-ounce can great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and bay leaf and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, and Brussels sprouts and continue cooking until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add the beans, salt, and pepper, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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The arrival of autumn doesn't mean your days of enjoying your garden are over.

(ARA) – Your vegetable garden has supplied your family with flavorful, nutritious fare throughout the summer. But the arrival of autumn doesn’t mean your days of enjoying your garden are over. If you plant now for the future and prepare for the coming season, it’s possible to enjoy a few last tasty morsels from your garden and ensure next spring’s landscape will be dazzling.

Here are a few tips to ensure your fall harvest is as fresh and fabulous as possible:

Plant a bit of fall flavor

Add a few short-season vegetables to your garden for fresh-from-the-field flavor this fall. Simply count the days from planting to the average first fall frost to determine how many growing days are left in your area. Select vegetables that will mature and can be harvested in that time. Leaf lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, radishes and carrots grow quickly, tolerate cool weather and are great additions to your fall cuisine.

Get these vegetables off to a good start with a side dressing of low nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite. Incorporate it into the soil prior to planting or sprinkle a narrow band along the row of plants. “This organic nitrogen will provide needed nutrients without damaging the tender seedlings. It is safe to use on all your edible and ornamental plants,” says Melinda Myers, nationally known horticulturist and author.

Cover ‘em up
Protect tender vegetables like tomatoes and peppers from the first few fall frosts. Floating row covers, cloches and cold frames can protect tender plants from frost. Or harvest green tomatoes before the killing frost and finish ripening them indoors. Spread them out on heavy paper or wrap them in newspaper so the tomatoes don’t touch and store them in a 65-degree location. They will ripen over the next few weeks. Speed up the process by moving a few tomatoes to a bright, warm location a few days before they are needed. And don’t leave green tomatoes behind. They taste great fried or made into relish and other tasty treats.

A fall planting of daffodils, grape hyacinths and other long-lived bulbs can provide many springs of beauty.

Plant some spring color
A fall planting of daffodils, grape hyacinths and other long-lived bulbs can provide many springs of beauty. Prepare the soil and add a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite to the soil. “This organic source of nitrogen releases needed nutrients including phosphorous and potassium from the soil without promoting unwanted fall growth,” according to Myers.

Give them a boost
Don’t forget about your trees. As the temperatures cool, and even after trees lose their leaves, tree roots are in their most active growth period. Fertilize trees in need of a nutrient boost about one month after the first killing frost but before the soil freezes. Use Milorganite to encourage balanced growth without the risk of damaging the roots. The organic source of nitrogen is slow release and stays in the soil. The non-staining iron is available to plants no matter the pH. So, you can give stressed trees a boost without encouraging excess growth or incurring root damage.

Prep your lawn for winter
Help your lawn recover from the heat and drought of summer and prepare it for winter with fall fertilization. University research has shown that fall fertilization is the most beneficial practice for home lawns. Less disease problems and slower weed growth mean your lawns — not the pests — benefit from the nutrients. Fall fertilization also helps lawns recover from the stresses of summer because it encourages deep roots and denser growth that can better compete with weeds, and tolerate disease and insects.

“Northern gardeners can follow the holiday schedule and fertilize Labor Day and Halloween. Southern gardeners should make their last fall fertilization at least 30 days before the lawn goes dormant or the average first killing frost to avoid winter kill,” recommends Myers. Use a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, for best results.

Tuck them in for winter
A good, long drink and bit of winter protection goes a long way to help struggling and less hardy plants through the winter ahead. A blanket of evergreen boughs, straw or marsh hay applied after the ground freezes will prevent frost heaving and early sprouting, and increase the chance of winter survival for bulbs and perennials.

Wind breaks and mulch can reduce winter drying and death of broadleaf and other evergreens. Water these and other plantings thoroughly before the ground freezes to increase overwintering success.

Add a layer of wood chip mulch on the soil surrounding trees and shrubs to moderate soil temperatures, conserve moisture and reduce weed competition. Keep mulch off tree trunks and shrub stems.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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2. Green Gardening: Save Time, Money and the Environment
3. How to make the most of your fall harvest

Plant Knock Out roses against your porch to add eye-popping color to your home.

(ARA) – Stroll your neighborhood and chances are you’ll spot landscape shrub roses decorating someone’s garden or backyard. Take a drive into town, and you’ll see them planted at your favorite shopping center.

If you haven’t noticed, landscape shrub roses have taken the country by storm. In home gardens, in containers and along highways, these low-maintenance roses bloom continuously from spring until frost with little to no effort.

“Anybody can grow these hard-working roses, no matter where they live. If you can grow grass, you can grow landscape shrub roses,” says James A. Baggett, editor of Country Gardens Magazine. He likes Knock Out roses for their drought tolerance and disease resistance, especially against black spot.

When designing with shrub roses, think of them as you would any flowering shrub, only this one will bloom continuously all season and do all the work for you!

Here are some tips on using landscape shrub roses in the garden and throughout the landscape.

1. Problem Solvers in Your Landscape
Whether you live in a city or the ‘burbs, have a small garden plot or large acreage, the gardening and decorating possibilities with shrub roses are endless. Plant them individually among other shrubs, annuals and perennials, in mixed beds and borders.

2. Pot up a Container
Renowned garden designer Jon Carloftis prefers to plant shrub roses in containers. “I like to give them perfect planting conditions such as good drainage, rich soil and the addition of regular fertilizer that won’t be an overdose to neighboring plants,” he says. “The results are outstanding when roses are planted in formal urns or combinations of rustic pots.”

From small apartments to grand homes, containers filled with shrub roses bring an understated sophistication to any sized deck, porch and patio. Pot them up in large and small containers, around a gazebo, poolside, or your entranceway for the perfect plant for all seasons.

3. Close to Home
Nothing says simple elegance like the original Knock Out rose. Try planting them “en masse” against your front porch or home. The large clusters of cherry-red blooms say “welcome” with a generous bloom cycle of every five to six weeks. Against your house, porch or deck, the rich, eye-popping red color is a sure winner.

Group several Knock Out roses together to hide unsightly utility units.

4. Second Look Curbside Appeal
Looking for plants with great curbside appeal that add year-round beauty? Cluster shrub roses around a mailbox or blend with perennials to create visual curb appeal. Plant the award-winning Rainbow Knock Out along with perennials. This lovely coral pink rose complements any color scheme and the blooms almost look hand-painted with rich yellow at the base. The plant adds height and color for maximum curbside appeal.

5. Now You See it – Now You Don’t
Do you have an unsightly utility unit, shed, trash can, or pool pump you want to hide? How about a slope or a hazardous spot to fill? Group hardy and attractive roses for a showy “cover-up.” Try planting Pink Double Knock Out with double flowers in a cheerful bubble gum hue. Unfazed by heat, this hardy shrub rose will cover up those unsightly spots with a pink profusion of color.

6. Borders and More
Want to create a natural privacy fence in your backyard? Shrub roses will keep wandering children, pedestrians or stray dogs out of the landscape with a colorful “living wall” hedge.

7. Create an English Garden
You don’t need to dream anymore about having a showcase formal garden. Stake and trim your favorite shrub roses to grow as small rose trees for the look and feel of an English garden. Mix in old-fashioned favorites such as spiraea and hydrangea to create an enviable cottage garden.

It’s no wonder that these roses are the number one choice for folks looking for a carefree landscape shrub rose that looks great and performs beautifully. For more information visit: TheKnockOutRose.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Green Gardening: Save Time, Money and the Environment

Everyone wants a beautiful landscape but most people feel they lack the time and expertise to cultivate the results they want. With a few simple eco-friendly changes in your fall landscape care, you can get more beautiful results with a limited investment of time and effort.

Triple Your Benefits
Cut the grass, recycle fall leaves and improve the soil with a pass of the lawn mower. Shred leaves and leave them on the lawn as you mow this fall. As long as you can see the grass through the leaf pieces, the lawn will be fine.

According to nationally known horticulturist and gardening expert Melinda Myers, “Shredding leaves and leaving them on the lawn is good for the grass and saves you time. As the leaves break down they add organic matter to the soil, improving drainage in clay soil and water holding ability in sandy soils. It’s a great way to recycle a valuable natural resource and reduce your work load. You can increase the environmental benefit even further by using an electric mower to both cut your grass and shred the leaves.”

Further improve your lawn’s health with fall fertilization. University research has shown that fall fertilization is the most beneficial practice for home lawns. Less disease problems and slower weed growth means your lawns — not the pests — benefit from the nutrients. Fall fertilization also helps lawns recover from the stresses of summer because it encourages deep roots and denser growth that can better compete with weeds and tolerate disease and insects.

“Northern gardeners can follow the holiday schedule and fertilize Labor Day and Halloween. Southern gardeners should make their last fall fertilization at least 30 days before the lawn goes dormant or the average first killing frost to avoid winter kill,” recommends Myers.

Use a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, for best results. Milorganite fertilizer is slow release and resists leaching. Its phosphorus and organic nitrogen stay in the root zone for the plants to use over a long period of time. And, it is good for the environment since the nutrients resist leaching into the groundwater and nearby well. Plus, the non-staining iron promotes greening without excess late season growth that could be subject to winter kill.

Less Work, Better Results
Leave healthy perennials stand for winter. According to Myers, “The seedheads add beauty to the winter landscape and provide food for the birds. Plus, research has found perennials left standing are better able to tolerate the rigors of winter.”

Be sure to remove any diseased or insect-infested plants to reduce the source of pest problems in next year’s garden. Use any extra fall leaves as mulch. Shred the leaves with your mower and spread a layer over the soil to conserve moisture and insulate the perennials’ roots. Not only are the leaves free, but using them as mulch is good for your garden and the environment. Fall mulching gives you a jump on next spring’s landscape chores.

Shredded leaves also make a good mulch for over bulbs. Plant daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in fall for extra color next spring. Set the bulbs at a depth of 2-to-3 times their height deep. Cover with soil, sprinkle on a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite and water. The low nitrogen slow release fertilizer promotes rooting without stimulating fall growth subject to winter kill. The leaf mulch helps conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature fluctuations and eventually improves the soil.

Dig ‘Em In
Still more leaves? Then shred them with the mower and dig them into vacant annual flower and vegetable gardens or incorporate them as you prepare new planting beds. You will be amazed at how quickly these leaves turn into organic matter and improve your garden’s soil. Add a little slow release fertilizer to feed the microorganisms and speed up their decomposition.

Or use the shredded leaves in your compost pile. Combine fall leaves with other plant waste, a bit of soil or compost, and a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite to create compost. Recycling yard waste saves time bagging, hauling and disposing of green debris. You also reduce or eliminate the need to buy soil to improve your existing garden soil.

So put away the rake and find creative ways to save time and money as you put fall leaves to work in your landscape. For more information, visit www.milorganite.com and www.melindamyers.com

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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2. How to make the most of fall’s final harvest
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In these times of severe drought in many parts of the country, consumers are desperate for plants that will make their gardens shine, in spite of water restrictions. The secret is selecting plants that are naturally not thirsty.

Many of our own native plants, water-storing cactus and succulents for example, have evolved over time to tolerate dry conditions. Typically such plants are found in areas with strong light, good air circulation, and poor soil such as parts of the Southwest. Often they display one or more adaptations, including deep taproots or shallow but wide-reaching root systems to maximize the chance of finding water, gray green waxy or hairy leaf coverings, or reduced leaf surface to cut down on water loss through transpiration.

Prudent gardeners select companion plants with similar water needs, both in the landscape and in containers. In either location, avoid rich soil and fertilizer that encourages soft, water-thirsty growth. The trick is to keep young plants watered during the first two to four weeks while they become established, and after that they will be fine. After planting, spreading a layer of gravel or organic mulch on top of the soil will help reduce surface water loss through evaporation.

To try low-water planting in your own garden, here are a few suggestions:

* Top your list with “Diamond Frost” euphorbia, an easy-care, deer-resistant plant from Proven Winners. Its 10- to 12-inch-tall, mounded plants can reach up to 2 feet across. Even in extreme heat they sparkle with clouds of airy self-cleaning flowers all season long; in frost-free climes they are evergreen. In containers water “Diamond Frost” as little as once a week, but when planted in the ground it seldom needs additional water, even during very dry spells.

* Self-cleaning Cuphea llavea “Totally Tempted” displays a profusion of 1-inch wide, lavender-throated, fiery red blooms that attract hummingbirds throughout the season.

* Chrysocephalum apiculatum, “Flambe Yellow” and “Flambe Orange” are Australian shrubs that sport clusters of brilliant yellow or orange knobs of flowers at the end of silver-hairy trailing stems.

Try a large container with shrubby shiny-leaved ”Petit Bleu” Caryopteris as the “thriller,” surrounded with ”Diamond Frost” and ”Flambe Yellow” or ”Flambe Orange” spilling over the edges.

* Another good trailer for containers or as a ground cover is Lantana, “Luscious Grape.” The new low-water, heat tolerant selection with heads of large bright purple flowers attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. The leaves have a strong fragrance or odor, depending on your nose. Their rough-to-the-touch surface cuts water evaporation. Pair this with 2- to 4-inch tall lavender pink Cleome “Senorita Rosalita” and ”Diamond Frost” for a long-blooming designer-look.

While periods of dry weather are nothing new, the frequency and degree of drought that certain regions are experiencing are critical. We may need to confine our old favorite annuals to containers where they can be babied, possibly with recycled household water. Change is always unsettling, but gardeners must adapt their mindset and search for plants that laugh at the sun. The palette is broader than we think.

For more information on plants for low-water gardening, visit www.provenwinners.com/idea27.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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New Plants and Garden Accessories Take a Starring Role in Outdoor Rooms this Spring

(ARA) – From show-stopping roses to containers rich in history, Spring 2008 promises to be an exciting year for garden lovers.

“Gardening this year will be easier than ever before, and a lot more fun, thanks to exciting new plants and smart new garden products scheduled for release this spring,” says Susan McCoy, owner of the Garden Media Group, a lawn and garden public relations agency.

As spring approaches, McCoy reveals a few of her favorite garden superstars for spring 2008.

New Stars in the Garden are no Divas
Looking for a great low-maintenance flowering shrub for your garden? Try the new Drift series of landscape groundcover roses for year round color with little to no effort. A cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniature roses, Drift Roses have a low, spreading habit that makes them perfect for container gardening, hanging baskets and small gardens. Highly disease resistant, they require no spraying except in the most black spot prone areas of the Deep South. Bred to be “chemical-free”, Drifts resist rust, mildew, Japanese beetles and black spot, while blooming for months on end. To find out more about these and other fine Star Roses, visit www.starroses.com.

Outdoor Living Takes on New Rooms
As we expand outdoors to entertain, cook and just relax, more of us are taking refuge in custom built gazebos to add an extra “room” in the backyard. New from Amish Country Gazebos (www.amishgazebos.com), the nation’s leading retailer of custom crafted Amish structures, is the 2008 Lancaster Collection. Named after prominent Pennsylvania cities, this series features three stunning handcrafted models: The Manheim, Carlisle, and Devon. Headquartered in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, this family-owned business uses only the finest materials for each and every special order and offers a lifetime guarantee on every gazebo they produce. For more information or to order a catalog, visit www.amishgazebos.com or call (800) 700-1777.

Garden Tropics for a Great Escape
Gone are the days when gardening in colder climates meant using only boxwoods, hostas and cold-hardy perennials. Thanks to advances in breeding, tropical beauties like the Bahama Bay Hibiscus collection can be successfully grown in gardens situated well above the Mason-Dixon Line.

Nearly two dozen hibiscuses with enormous bi- and tri-colored blooms accented with lush, dark green foliage are in the collection. With names like ‘Goin Steady’, ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Big Bird,’ the plants have personalities all their own, and are a perfect fit for gardeners who have caught on to the tropical explosion. Gardeners in tropical climates, zones 7 to 9, can enjoy the hibiscus’ massive, multi-colored blooms almost year round. For those gardening in cooler climates, Bahama Bay will bloom abundantly during the summer months when grown in a container. For more information, visit www.bahamabay-hibiscus.com.

Garden Accents Inspired By American History
A touch of class for any garden can be found in the new Williamsburg Collection from Campania International (www.campaniainternational.com). The collection features an extensive range of garden containers, including cast-stone replicas of urns in the Governor’s Palace gardens, part of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Birdbaths, an elegant window box, and a stepping stone round out the product line.

This historical collection features the rich designs of Colonial Williamsburg, offering today’s gardener an exceptional array of historical American garden accents. Try one of these elegant accents inside or outside your home to achieve the latest “designer” look from Campania.

Healthy Gardens from the Ground Up
Start your container garden off right this season with high-quality planting soil that feeds the plants and keeps the soil moist longer. The new organic potting soil, called Organic Mechanics (www.organicmechanicsoil.com), is an all-purpose, peat-free, potting soil that is 100 percent organic and promises to improve plant performance. Gardeners can pick up Organic Mechanics potting soil at Whole Foods, Wegmans and Wild Oats or the new 1.5 cubic foot bag at fine garden centers.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Winter is generally a harsh time for plants — indoors and out, but gardening experts say there are simple ways to bundle up outdoor plants and healthy ways to care for indoor plants so they’ll grow and bloom again for years to come.

Indoor Plants
* Don’t fertilize or feed the plant unless they are growing vigorously or flowering.

* Reduce your watering schedule and let the soil dry out between waterings.

* Move plants into sunny areas during the day and away from cold drafts at night. Instead of lugging pots from room to room, or if pots are too heavy to be moved, invest in a few Down Under Plant Caddies. The wheeled devices come in several sizes, hold and easily move up to 500 lbs. and lock to keep the caddie securely in place.

* Keep indoor temperatures as even as possible. Winter air is dry air and plants need humidity. Grouping plants together can help increase humidity as can placing pots on a tray of damp gravel or misting the leaves regularly.

Outdoor Plants
* If plants are outdoors, in the ground, give them a layer of compost for food and add several layers of mulch to provide insulation and protection against the cold. Great options for mulch include shredded leaves, grass clippings, wood chips or newspaper.

* In areas of the country that fall below freezing, don’t leave your stoneware pots outside for the winter, the soil in them can freeze and even empty pots can break. Pots do not provide insulation and, if left outside, the plants inside of them will likely die.

* In warmer areas of the country that only have cool winters, make sure your plant pots are elevated off the surface they rest on, like a deck or concrete patio. Moisture can become trapped under the containers and damage and stain the surface. Using a Down Under Plant Stand lifts the pot and allows air to circulate under it preventing this damage.
* If you live in a part of the country in which the ground does not freeze, you can plant perennials in the soil where they can be left to bloom when it’s warm or re-potted next year. Plant the roots deep and water once per week until the first frost.

* You can also leave the plants in their pots and move it to a cool, dark place that will stay between 40 and 50 degrees. Water once when you put them away then they’ll go dormant. Leave them until the spring when they’re ready to bask in the sun again.

For more information about the Down Under Plant Stand or Down Under Plant Caddie or to purchase, visit www.DownUnderPlantStand.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Winter gardening is done basically during the winter months as one may assume and it is done within the comfort of your home or another building that you may have. Some people even have separate storage houses or winter gardening buildings set up so that they may continue to grow their plants all year long. This works out well for those people who have to rely on their own resources to get them through the winter. Winter gardening is what gets a lot of the population who resides in the middle of nowhere through some of the roughest of the winter months.

Cons of Winter Gardening

Unlike during the summer months, there is not enough heat to naturally keep the plants alive and growing. So when attempting winter gardening, one must supplement the natural light and heat that the plants would have during the summer months. The gardener must make sure that he or she completely reads up on winter gardening and must make sure that the right amount of heat and light are given. Too much or not enough of something can make for terrible results and a lot of wasted food and time.

Winter gardening takes not only a lot of energy out of you but also a lot of money out of your wallet sometimes as the energy costs for heating and lighting the building cannot be cheap. But, if you are simply growing a small garden in your home, the expenses of the heat and light may not be so bad and still be beneficial to you. Winter gardening can be not only a good way to supply yourself and other with food, but also a good way to get your exercise in during those cold months when usually you relax more.

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Roses are delicate plants that not only benefit from, but need, special attention.  Of course, the return that roses give growers is ample to the efforts put into their care.  Worldwide they are one of the most beloved plants and have come to be recognized as a sign of beauty and love. So why risk losing your precious roses because you did not winterize them correctly?  A little time and effort can greatly improve the survival rate of your roses.  Preserve your roses.  Five easy steps can help your roses through the toughest of winters.

Don’t let the winter months sweep in and steal them away from you.  Roses are resilient little troopers if you give them a jumpstart.  If you set your roses up properly for the long, dark, snowy months ahead, they will be waiting for you in the spring. In climates that produce temperatures that remain below 20-degrees F (7-degrees C) for long stretches without snow cover apply cover to your roses.  If winters in your climate bring temperatures below 10 degrees F (12 degrees C) protective covering is necessary.  In climates where winter is cool but low temperatures are rare, leave roses out in the open.

Just before September hits stop feeding and pruning your roses.  This will stop the growth of delicate new blossoms that can not survive the winter from forming.  After the first frost give your roses a good watering session.  This will give the roses a good start as they head into a long stretch of independent care. Take the time to give your rose bed a thorough cleaning.  Get rid of any diseases and insects.  Remove fallen petals and leaves in the rose bed.  Don’t attempt to reuse the rose bed debris in compost.  Those unwanted pests may be lying in wait.  Get rid of any old leaves so no insects hitch a ride on your roses into winter.

The time to begin preparing your roses for winter depends largely on your climate.  In some climates you will want to begin protection after the first frost.  In others you don’t need to bundle your roses up until after the second frost. Apply protection as late as possible without compromising your roses and remove it as early as you can.  Late November is a good time to get the protection on, but if your climate affords it, wait until Christmas.

Hybrid teas are the most popular roses grown in America.  They are partially derived from plants that grow in moderate regions where winters are extremely mild.  That means they are especially sensitive to the cold weather.  Pile a six to eight inch pile of dirt along the base of the bush before the ground completely freezes.

While there are a few Rosarians that support protecting more than the bud union, most believe that covering the buds will suffice, unless you are growing climbing roses.  Then you want to cover as much as you can.  Wrap a heat conducting material around the bud union of the rose. 

If you are dealing with climbing roses, these same basic steps will help you to winterize.  Gently remove the canes from the arbors and bind them to one another.  Remove the foliage and bend the canes to the ground before placing a wood and wire frame above the plant.  Then the bush, without any major pruning, is encased entirely in a thermal blanket.

It is good to get your roses back into the open as soon as possible. Late April is a great time to set your roses free. New growth will have been stifled long enough to prevent damage from late season frosts. What destroys roses in the winter is debatable.  Some believe it is the dehydrated soil.  Others think it’s the first strong frost, winterizing itself is also up for debate.  This is a case of better safe than sorry.

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Think About What the Fall Season Means to You

When you think about the fall, there are a variety of symbols that might come to mind. Things like pumpkins and scarecrows are very common symbols of fall, and you can certainly use them in your fall gardening.

For example, if you have an area of your yard that looks particularly boring, you can liven it up with a little vignette of a scarecrow surrounded by pumpkins. For this fall gardening idea, decide if you would like to make your own scarecrow, or buy a ready-made one at your local gardening store.

If you choose to include a homemade scarecrow in your fall gardening plan, start by finding some old clothes and setting them aside. Next, you can either stuff the scarecrow with fallen leaves, or get hay from your garden supply store and stuff the scarecrow. Take the scarecrow and tie it to a large stick, and once this is done, you can move on to the next step in your fall gardening adventure.

Picking pumpkins is a seasonal experience, particularly between September and October. Thus, it is important to time your pumpkin picking for your fall gardening just right. After all, you want to make sure that your fall gardening scene looks lovely for as long as possible!

It is important to note that you probably should not carve the pumpkins that you are using in your fall gardening, since a carved pumpkin only lasts a week at most. Instead, consider choosing two whole pumpkins and placing them on either side of the scarecrow.

Another thing that you should consider incorporating into your fall gardening vignette is some flowers. The flowers that are traditional for the fall are chrysanthemums, particularly gold and orange ones.

If you would like more information on fall gardening ideas, all you have to do is look at the various gardening magazines that are available at your local bookstore. You can also search the internet, since there are a variety of different websites that have pictures of various fall gardening ideas. You are sure to find the right fall gardening ideas for you with the proper research.

Related posts:

1. Simple Ideas for Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening
2. Fall Vegetable Gardening Ideas
3. How to make the most of your fall harvest