We finally got a little taste of fall this past week. I for one have to say this is the reason I love the "4 seasons". By the time one season is ending I am ready for the next one. The only thing about this is the fact that it seems like winter hangs around a lot longer than the other 3 seasons.

Several of you have asked about the purple flowers blooming in front of our house. They are called purple domed asters. This is the first year they have bloomed like this. I am sure they liked all the moisture we had in the first weeks of spring. They really do put on a show. In order to have them bloom in the fall they should be planted in the spring. So jot that name down in your book and maybe you can pick some up at the Herb and Garden Festival next April.

This is also a good time of the year to plant mums. "Hardy mums make a great addition to the fall garden," said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Matt Kostelnick. "For some people, hardy mums are a necessary component of fall beauty," he said. "As the name suggests, they are very hardy and tolerate the dipping temperatures of cold autumn nights, unlike many other plants in the garden. "Mum is short for chrysanthemum and most gardeners are familiar with two types. One of those is the more flashy chrysanthemums bought at a floral shop either potted or sold as a cut flower," he said. "These are usually sold for floral purposes—not gardening. Their blooms tend to be very flashy and elaborate and the plants are sometimes referred to as 'florist chrysanthemums.' They don't over-winter in Illinois because they don't establish strong underground shoots."

"The other chrysanthemums are the ones seen blooming in September, October, and sometimes as late as November. These hardy mums are grown as perennials in our area. In September, these plants set many flower buds and explode with blooms shortly thereafter."

Hardy mums are perennial in zones 5 to 9. The plants have many branches and can get quite large to appear almost shrub-like. Staking is often necessary for hardy mums that get too tall. These plants are available in a wide array of colors. There are also many different flower-bloom types, including the very common pompoms, anemone, cushion, spider, quill, and daisy petals. "Planting hardy mums is similar to planting other plants. They can be planted in the spring or the fall. Try to plant hardy mums in full sun and away from street lights," he said.

GARDEN QUESTIONS FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

I would like to address another question I have heard about in the last few days—Q) Why are my pine trees dying? Their needles are yellow and brown—Please help! A) Every Fall we get this question, so here goes. First of all we need to think of 'evergreen" as marketing term more than a true description. Evergreens lose their leaves or needles like deciduous trees. They just don't lose them as dramatically, all at once every fall.

Take for instance the Eastern white pine, their needles begin growing in the spring, and by September or October of the next year are ready to die. Since they last about 18 months, and since new ones have meanwhile grown farther out on the branches, it is the inner needles that die. Remember, one year's great growing season means the next year's brownout.

Other evergreens have other schedules, and not every needle will drop on time anyway. Unlike the leaves on deciduous trees, needles don't die when the tree dumps its food factories and hunkers down for winter. Needles die when their life span is up. Japanese black pine needles last three to five years, and Scotch pine needles last about three years. Austrian pine needles begin dying at four, but some will hang on eight years.

Q) I want to divide some of my perennials; could you give me some guidelines? A) A good rule of thumb for dividing perennials is: early bloomers in early fall and late bloomers in spring. September and early October are good months for starting or redoing your perennial garden. Plants like the bearded iris, bleeding hearts, peonies, oriental poppies, and Madonna lilies (after their tops wither) are just some of the selections that are recommended for fall planting. Tall perennials are better cut back before being moved. Whatever foliage remains down near the soil matters little in the fall.

GARDEN GUIDE FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

FLOWERS: Wait until the ground freezes before mulching perennials. Begin planting hardy spring bulbs. Follow guidelines for appropriate planting depths. Planting may continue until the ground freezes. This is the ideal time to transplant and divide peonies and iris and amend soil with bone meal. Dig and store dahlia, cannas, and gladiola bulbs. Remember to store them in a dry cool area until next spring. Cut perennials 3-4" to clean up beds and prevent disease. Let those that provide winter interest remain until spring.

INDOOR GARDENING: Begin giving Christmas cactus short days and cool nights to initiate flowering for the holidays. Do not fertilize houseplants until next April, unless under artificial lights. Begin providing poinsettias with 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness so brats will change color for the holidays. Place pots on a shallow dish with pebbles—pots should not be sitting in water. VEGETABLES: Harvest Halloween pumpkins before a killing frost. Till manure or other organic matter into garden soil. Harvest tender crops such as tomatoes and peppers before killing frost. Green tomatoes will ripen indoors.

TREES: This is also the ideal time to transplant dormant deciduous trees and shrubs. Notice which plants in the area have good fall color. Wrap trunks of young, woody plants with burlap, heavy paper, or cylinders of hardware cloth to prevent rodent damage. Pick bagworms from evergreens. Sprays are not effective at this time.

LAWN: Mow and water as necessary. Rake up leaves, grass clippings and debris; use as mulch or build a compost heap. Apply fall lawn fertilizer or winterize at the end of the month. Winterize your irrigation system. Establish or renovate with sod only.

If you have any horticulture questions, call the U of I Extension office 345-7034. Volunteer

Master Gardeners are in the office on Monday and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m.

This column is based on information and materials at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/