Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

Fall is a busy season for gardeners! Besides cleaning up from summer’s bounty, gardeners have to think ahead to spring. Perennials need regular digging, dividing and transplanting to maintain healthy, attractive growth. Here are some tips for dividing those perennials. Have some fun deciding where to transplant your perennials in your own yard or share them with friends!

Happy Gardening!
–Crystal

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READ ON TO DISCOVER...

• Regional Report
• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Frugal Backyard Tip
• Submit Your Story

Regional Report

Even if it may not feel like it in your area, fall has officially started. Our bloggers give you great advice on autumn on our Birds & Blooms blog.

• Southwest
• Midwest
• Northeast
• Northwest
• South Central
• Southeast

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Dutch Gardens, www.dutchgardens.com

Plant of the Month

Aster
A wonderful cut flower, asters make any garden explode with color at the end of the growing season. From miniature alpine plants to giants up to 6 feet tall, there are over 250 asters, with plenty of colors to choose from. Asters are a great way to brighten up the fall landscape.

Common Names: Aster, Michaelmas daisy.
Botanical Name: Aster.
Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8.
Bloom Time: Late summer through fall.
Size: 3 to 6 feet high (dwarf varieties are shorter).
Flowers: Purple, white, pink, blue, and red daisy-like flowers.
Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
Growing Advice: Can be planted any time during growing season, preferably early in northern states, so cultivars can get established before winter. Plant at least 2 feet apart with the crown even with the soil surface.

Prize Picks: For the ultimate in low-maintenance gardening, choose Purple Dome asters, which form a small, tight mass of blooms that require no pinching or staking. Alma Potschke can reach heights of 4 feet and usually need staking; its flowers are vivid pink.

Take a look at these other plants that provide fabulous fall color.

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RDA-GID

Yard Smarts

Leftover Leaves
After raking autumn leaves into bags, I pile the bags in an out-of-the-way corner. In spring, I line the aisles of the garden with old newspapers, and then cover them with the leaves. The combination of newspaper and leaves holds in moisture and minimizes weeds. It also provides a nice place to walk when the rest of the garden is muddy. In fall, all this is organic matter, and the cycle continues. —Nita Young, Nebo, North Carolina

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Question of the Month

RDA-GID

Not-So-Friendly Neighbors
I planted my gladiolus bulbs right next to my sunflowers and I had no glads. Are the sunflowers to blame?  –Pat Kelly, Dowagiac, Michigan

Melinda:Poor growth or a lack of flowers on your glads may be the result of shade created by their tall neighbors. The sunflowers can also out-compete their neighbors for water and nutrients.

Sunflowers are allelopathic, meaning all parts contain a toxin that can harm other plants. These chemicals help plants reduce competition from weeds and other neighboring plants. Though most gardeners, myself included, have not had trouble growing sunflowers in beds, vegetable gardens or other areas, some problems have been observed in large commercial planting and crop rotations. So next time, find a sunny spot for your glads.

For answers to your gardening questions, click here.

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Frugal Backyard Tip

Recycle Old Carpet
Don’t spend a lot of money to create a new flower bed. Cover the area with old carpet in fall. By spring, the grass will be dead, and the soil will be moist and ready to fill.

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Submit Your Story

Have you had an embarrassing gardening moment? We want to hear about it. Send us your backyard blunder using our Submit Your Story form.

Submit your story»

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