It's Fall...time to plant those bulbs again...here are some helpful hints:

1. Make a shopping list. Use pictures from catalogues or magazines to get ideas.
2. Read the labels. You don't need to be an expert to have success with bulbs.
3. Consider your climate. There are bulbs suited to most any climate condition. However, not every bulb performs at its peak in every zone. Your bulb supplier is your best source of information on which bulb varieties are best suited to your area.
4. Check the merchandise. Bigger is better: Bigger bulbs produce bigger blossoms.
5. Consider "bargains" carefully. Less expensive bulbs often are smaller in size than the main selections and will produce smaller flowers. HOWEVER, buying smaller bulbs can be an inexpensive means of bringing color to large expanses of the yard.
6. Indulge yourself with an impetuous treat. Experts suggest trying something new each year as a means of updating the garden plan and helping to keep your imagination fresh.
7. Try different sources. Bulbs are sold in many places nationwide: garden centers and nurseries, mail-order catalogues, supermarkets, home centers, mass merchandisers, hardware stores, and other specialty stores and now, even on the Internet!

Some perennials can be divided and replanted in late August. Hosta, daylilies, iris and peonies are good examples. As they age, these plants can develop a dead center, with shoots growing in a ring around it. This is a good sign that it's time to divide. Other signs may include fewer and smaller blooms. Other spring-blooming perennials can be divided in the late summer/early fall period.

I can't believe this is my second fall in this house. I've painted the brick and sided the rest to match, added shutters, and tore out the front walk and little paving stone porch.

My local son took all the bushes across the front and my local daughter built a beautiful, curving rose brick walk. Actually everything I've mentioned except for painting the brick, someone else did and I had help from my grandson, Pete, on that. The flowers along the street side of the yard bloomed beautifully except for the ones the bunnies ate. After I used hot pepper the bunnies stayed away. I think at first they thought it was their private salad bowl.

There is much too much purple in the front gardens so I'll be doing a lot of transplanting and giving away come spring. I have a good variety of plants and with a few new colors next summer should look even better.

Former neighbors, Sam & Bachos Trad, who have a remodeling company, built a curved wall where the old paving stone porch was and put grasses in and mulch. I've added hostas and a hydrangea and a wrought iron table & chairs.

I've been plotting the sun in my yard and am hoping to start an herb garden in the spring. There are several other things that I had hoped to do this summer but time has just flown by.

I am planning on lining the brick walk with white mums and putting ivy in front of the curved wall. And of course everything depends on the weather.

When I'm free it's always too hot or raining. But I use that as "read a mystery time." Sometimes on cool and clear days I also read mysteries.

In other words this has been a wonderful summer of gardening and reading and already I'm planning for next spring and summer. I have a new plant list, a transplant list, and a reading list to which I just added Anne George and Kathy Reichs.

- Terry Finan

(This is Part 2 of a Series. Part 1 was in August issue)

4. Ornithogalum umbellatum Star-of-Bethlehem Toxicity: The bulbs contain convallatoxin and convalliside; whether or not the flowers are toxic is not known. Can cause gastrointestinal upset with nausea.

5.Amaryllis species Amaryllis Toxicity: Bulbs and seeds contain alkaloids such as haemanthamine, hippeastrine, lycorine, tazzetine, amaryllidine and others. May cause gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhea and shivering.

6. Narcissus species Jonquil, Daffodil Toxicity: Bulbs contain alkaloids such as galanthamine, haemanthamine, lycorine and others as well as calcium oxalate crystals. Flowers - unknown content. May cause death in large quantities; petals and sap may cause contact dermatitis.

7. Humulus lupulus Hops Toxicity: Contains variety of volatile oils such as humulene, myrcene, caryophyllene and farnesene. May cause allergic contact dermatitis with eruptions after contact with leaves, flowers or pollen.

8.Fagopyrum sagittatum Buckwheat Toxicity: A napthrodianthrone derivative known as fagopyrin causes photosensitization in animals. May cause hay fever and skin irritation in humans.

9. Mirabilis jalapa Four O'Clock Toxicity: Roots and seeds contain unspecified toxins. May cause nausea, stomach pains, gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea, especially in children; handling roots and seeds may also cause dermatitis.

10. Agrostemma githago Corn Cockle Toxicity: Seeds contain the saponin githagin and the sapogenin githagenin. May cause severe gastroenteritis, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and slow, labored breathing.

11.Saponaria officinalis Bouncing Bet, Soapwort Toxicity: The seeds contain githagenin; also saponins saporubin and saporubinic acid in the roots. May cause gastroenteric irritation, chiefly of the intestinal mucosa; also the destruction of red blood cells.

12.Aconitum species Wolfsbane, Monkshood Toxicity: All plant parts contain the alkaloid aconitine. Causes a variety of severe symptoms which may culminate in respiratory paralysis, coma and death.

13. Anemone species Windflower Toxicity: Contains innocuous glycoside ranunculin that breaks down to form the irritant aglycone protoanemonin. May cause irritation of mucous membranes, burning of the throat, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, dizziness, fainting and convulsions. Symptoms also apply to Actae, Caltha, Clematis and Ranunculus.

14. Clematis species Leather Flower, Virgin's Bower Toxicity: Same as above for Anemone.

15. Delphinium species Larkspur, Delphinium Toxicity: Contains alkaloids delphinine, delphinboidine, ajacine, delphisine and others. May cause burning in the mouth, tingling skin, nausea, stomach upset, abdominal upset and other symptoms which may lead to death.

16.Helleborus niger Christmas Rose Toxicity: Roots and leaves contain the cardiac glycoside hellebrin and others. May cause slow, irregular pulse, labored breathing, convulsions, respiratory failure and sometimes death.

17.Ranunculus species Buttercup, Crowfoot Toxicity: Same as Anemonne, also pollen may cause respiratory irritation.

18. Dicentra species Bleeding Heart, Dutchman's Breeches Toxicity: Isoquinoline alkaloids such as protopine and others occur in all parts. May cause labored breathing, trembling, incoordination, convulsions; large amounts may be fatal.

19. Hydrangea species Hydrangea Toxicity: Leaves, branches and buds contain hydrangin, a cyanogenic glycoside and possibly other toxins. May cause gastroenteric distress, labored breathing, coma convulsions and fibrillary twitching.

20.Laburnum anagyroides Golden Chain Tree Toxicity: The quinolizidine alkaloid cytisine occurs in all parts, especially the seeds and bark. May cause burning of the mouth, thirst, irregular pulse, coma, circulatory collapse, respiratory failure and death.

21. Lathyrus species Sweet Pea, Chick Pea Toxicity: The seeds, in particular, contain a water soluble aliphatic amino acid glycoside with a nitrile group and other toxins. May cause partial or total paralysis of legs and/or arms when consumed in large amounts. Additional symptoms are transitory, paralysis is permanent.

22. Lupinus species Lupine Toxicity: Seeds contain quinolizidine alkaloids such as lupinine and anagyrine, as well as others. May cause respiratory depression and slowing of the heart.

23. Wisteria species Wisteria Toxicity: Seeds, pods and bark contain the glycoside wisterin and a toxic resin. May cause gastroenteric irritation, chiefly of the gastric mucosa, nausea, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration. Recovery is usually within 24 hours.

24. Linum ustatissimum Flax Toxicity: All parts of the young plant contain cyanoganic glycoside linamarin and its homolog lotaustralin. May cause difficult breathing, paralysis, convulsions and death.

25. Ruta graveolens Rue Toxicity: All plant parts contain furocoumarins and rutin. The leaves may cause skin dermatitis, subsequent photodermatitis; internally, large amounts of rue oil cause stomach pain, vomiting, exhaustion, confusion, convulsions and death.

26.Euphorbia species Spurge Toxicity: The irritant sap contains various principles, which irritate the eyes, mouth and gastrointestinal tract; dermatitis in sensitive individuals. E. marginata (Snow-on-the-Mountain) has caused fatality. E. pulcherrima (poinsettia) normally does nothing but cause minor skin irritation on contact. Other Euphorbias vary in severity of sap toxicity.

27. Ricinus communis Castor bean Toxicity: All parts, particularly the seeds, contain ricin, a phytotoxin, ricinine, an alkaloid, hydrogen cyanide and other unknown toxins. Produces a variety of terrible symptoms leading to tachycardia, convulsions, liver and kidney damage and death. Volatile emanations when in bloom may cause allergic respiratory irritation, as can handling the leaves.

28.Aesculus species Buckeye, Horse Chestnut Toxicity: Aesculin, a hydroxy derivative of coumarin, has been found in the leaves, bark, young twigs and seeds of several species. May cause mucous membrane inflammation, nausea, headache, salivation, thirst, stupor, incoordination, convulsions, circulatory and respiratory failure and death.

(This list will continue in the October newsletter)

There is a gap of some weeks between the strong blush of the summer bloomers and the fall garden. When I get back from vacation, I look around the garden to see what is doing well. Annuals that look good so late in the season include melapodium, impatiens, cleome, zinnias. Snapdragons may look spent but if you cut them back, they will flower well into fall. It is a good idea to make sure you have some blue salvia to be a foil for all those yellow fall bloomers.

Everyone is familiar with the more popular fall perennials like chrysanthemums and asters. I would like to introduce you to my favorite late-summer-early fall bloomer - Helenium. Unfortunately it goes by the common name Sneezeweed, a misnomer as it does not cause sneezing. In my garden, it grows gradually all summer. By August it is six feet tall! I drag out my five foot trellis and stake them. Flowers will start blooming in August and continues right into late September. Try the bicolor variety "Red Gold Hybrid" with brick red and golden yellow flowers.

This is also a time when there are several deep pink bloomers such as phlox and false dragonhead. Less well-known are Turtleheads Chelone lyonii. The unusual tubular flowers are borne in terminal axillary clusters and resemble the head of a turtle with its mouth agape. The dried seeds are also attractive. They like it moist, but I grow mine in a sunny dry location and it does quite well.

Fall is also the time when we head to the nurseries to buy spring bulbs. To all gardeners who struggle with the animal depredations of their tulips, I would like to suggest that this year you try something new. There are a host of spring bulbs which can enhance your garden. Daffodils come in a range of colors from snow white to deep yellows and are poisonous to animals. I try to plant a few bulbs of one new variety every year and have had success with every one. Planted judiciously, you can have daffodils from early March through late April.

Daffodils look stunning in combination with grape hyacinth muscari armeniacum with their deep blue color. Hyacinths also come in a range of colors and are not as attractive to critters. Peruvian squill scilla peruviana provide star-shaped flowers in tight groups blue, purple or white. My favorite is Siberain squill scilla sibirica prized for its deep blue blooms. Another early spring bloomer with beautiful star-shaped blue flowers is Glory-of- the-snow Chinodoxa lucilae.

Other unusual bulbs to try include Crown Imperial Fritillaria imperailis with its unusual hanging, bell-shaped flowers in yellow, orange or red. Place at the back of the bed for a striking spring accent. Checkered Lily Fritillari megagris white to deep purple with a checkered pattern. Allium giganteum blooms in May and provide great spring accents. Allium moly provide grassy foliage and star shaped clusters in yellow or white. With so many bulbs to choose from, you can plan a stunning spring garden. And that is the best part of fall gardening - isn't it?

- Sunita Shastry

• Consider this the beginning of the year for cool weather grasses (like bluegrass). This is the best time to core aerate, power rake, reseed and plant sod
  
• Clover in the lawn is a sign that fertility is low. Feed grass to compete with clover and clover will disappear.
  
• The winter annual and perennial seeds are germinating now. Hoe or treat with Roundup while plants are small. Otherwise they will survive the winter and become larger and more difficult to remove in the spring.
  
• Almost all deciduous shrubs (except rhododendron) can be planted in the fall. However, don't mulch newly planted shrubs until ground is frozen as you will be making a nice place for voles to build their nests.....and if they girdle the bark, your shrub won't survive.
  
• Landscape roses can be planted all fall; it is too late to plant hybrid teas.
  
• On your established shrubs, limit pruning to removing diseased, damaged or broken stems. Late pruning will stimulate soft growth which won't have time to harden off for winter.
  
• Do not fertilize trees until their leaves have dropped? Let plants acquire dormancy on their own. Do not feed, water, or prune excessively.
  
• This is a good time for tree planting with the exception of dogwoods, oaks, birches and some crabapples which are best planted in the spring.
  
• Mulch can revive old trees...especially oaks. Mulch under entire branch spread (or as much as is feasible). Keep mulch about 2" away from trunk to avoid crown or root rot disease.
  
• Prepare now to protect trees from deer and rodent damage. Rabbit and voles feed on the bark of young trees. Surround young trees with a circle of 12" tall chicken wire. If dry weather is extended, apply 2" of water beneath entire area of tree every 2-3 weeks.
  
• Continue to deadhead annuals as we still have six weeks before frost.
  
• Bug problems are less now with the exception of white fly which is at its zenith. Pyrethin spray will get rid of them. Insecticidal soap sprayed on the underside of the leaves will kill the larvae. This is probably important to do to any houseplants that have summered outside. Cold temperatures will kill any of your garden plants.
  
• Keep broccoli florets picked to keep encouraging plant to produce new ones until frost.
  
• If you are saving heirloom seeds, collect them before they disperse. Deadhead any wildflowers; their seeds can be invasive.

- By Nancy Crawford