The first frost is fast approaching

Another summer has bit the dust as we cruise into September. We enjoyed a nice long fall last year and hopefully will again. Keep your fingers crossed.

With all the hot days we had this summer, the heat lovers like tomatoes and peppers really did well. Maybe we won't need to figure out what to do with a bushel of green tomatoes this year. That would be a nice change.

I hate to mention this, but now is a good time to get those fall bulbs ordered. Catalogs have started arriving in the mailboxes. My favorites are the parrot type tulips. They bloom later than most and are always spectacular. They're also good at multiplying so you will have more each year.

If you haven't already done so, get those perennials moved or divided now. This is also the best time to move peonies. The one thing you need to watch is how deeply they're planted. The little eyes, (buds) should not be covered with more than two inches of soil. If they are planted too deeply, they will not bloom. Be sure to select a site in full sun.

Butterflies were few and far between again this summer. Their biggest enemy seems to be garden pesticides. Remember, a yard that is periodically sprayed with these is not likely to produce any butterflies as the larvae are all killed off. It's better to reserve that spraying for an occasional spot that needs it ... not the entire yard.

I was recently reading about some animal and bird groups with interesting names. Here are a few that tickled my bippy.

* A group of buzzards is called a wake.

* A group of doves ... a pitying. (Especially mourning doves)

* A group of jays ... a scold.

And my favorite; a group of crows is called a murder. Makes you wonder who came up with these names, doesn't it?

Speaking of birds, I hope the hummingbirds are still entertaining you. They will quit you in a New York minute if the sugar water in their feeders goes bad. This can happen in just a few days. Once they've tasted it and it's no good, it will take a while for you to win them back. This happened to me when I was gone for several days recently.

Even if they are fickle, it's worth it to keep them around as they are certainly entertaining. The young ones are especially fun to watch as they chase each other here and there and investigate anything from a garden flag to a wind chime on the off chance that it might actually contain some nectar.

OK, here's your thought for the day ... when it comes to gardening, there's no business like hoe business.

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.