Flowers & gardens

Plant bulbs

Fall is the time to plant crocus, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and other spring-flowering bulbs throughout most of the country.

• Which to plant when: While you should plant most bulbs by late October, you can plant tulips as late as November and, in the mild-winter West, as late as New Year's Day. Also plant spring-flowering anemone and ranunculus. Then overplant bulbs with early-flowering perennials, such as basket-of-gold (Aurinia saxatilis) and English primrose (Primula x polyantha).
• How to plant: Plant large bulbs, such as daffodils and tulips, about 8 inches deep, and smaller bulbs, such as crocus, about 5 inches deep. If you're combining them with other bulbs, figure on two to three daffodil and tulip bulbs (full-size varieties) per square foot. For smaller bulbs, plant three to five per square foot—twice as many for a solid bed of color.. Plant all bulbs with the pointed end up. To get bulbs of the same type to bloom at once, plant them at the same depth.

Plant garlic

You should be able to find superior varieties for your region at local nurseries or in mail-order garden catalogs. Separate individual cloves from the mother bulb and plant them outdoors in good garden soil 1 to 2 inches deep and about 4 inches apart.

Plant cool-season annuals

Where mild winters permit, these include plants such as cabbage, kale, pansies, primroses, and violas. In southern and coastal regions, many annuals can begin blooming by mid-December and continue until spring. Planting later will probably sacrifice winter bloom but should still provide flowers earlier in spring.

Protect roses

Most modern hybrid roses (hybrid teas, floribunda, and grandifloras) are damaged by temperatures below 10 F or so. If those temperatures are common where you live, mound soil over the plant's central crown or bud, called the bud union (this node at the base of the plant is the spot from which new canes emerge). Also wrap stems with a wire or mesh cylinder filled with a light mulch such as composted bark.

Mulch

In cold-winter areas, mulch after a hard freeze. Spread 2 to 3 inches of compost, composted cedar, pine, or fir bark, weed-free straw, or similar material.

Cut back and divide perennials

Cut back dead leaves and stems of perennials. In the mild-winter South and West, fill in the empty space with cool-season annuals such as forget-me-not, sweet alyssum, and violas. Leave those with attractive, dried stems for winter interest. Divide some perennials, including Oriental poppies, peonies, and Siberian irises, if they're overcrowded and if there is still usually about a month until the hard frost.

How to divide: Lift the root entire root mass, then use a spading fork or small shovel to separate individual clumps. Cut back any remaining leaves to a length of 2 or 3 inches. Replant the most vigorous clumps, and discard those that are weak or diseased.

Dig and store summer bulbs

In northern areas, dig and store tender bulbs such as tuberous begonias, dahlias, and gladiolus.

What to do: Once begonia leaves dry and fade, lift the tuber, shake off soil, and store in a cool place. To store dahlias, dig up the sweet-potato-like tuberous root and cut off stems about 4 inches above them after the first frost. Shake off loose soil and allow to dry in the sun for most of a day. Store in dry sawdust or peat moss in a cool location. Dry gladiolus corms in a well-ventilated, cool, and dark location for three weeks before storing.