Soon it will be time to rest up
Kopper King is what they call a "hardy" hibiscus. Tropical hibiscus plants won't survive our winters, but these will. The plants are slow to come up in the spring but when they do, they grow quickly. The blossoms are worth waiting for as the flowers are huge.
Wheth-er we like it or not, fall is here even though it doesn't "officially" arrive until Sept. 23. That's the date of the autumn equinox, meaning the day and night are approximately the same length all over the world.
Are you wishing you had more color in your yard at this time of year? There are quite a few perennials which will provide this. Some of them are asters, mums, Japanese anemones, black-eyed Susans and phlox. For annuals, try pansies, snapdragons and sunflowers.
Be sure to cut the tops of those tall tomato plants off by a third to a half. This will tell the plant that they need to ripen what they've got instead of trying to add more. We can get a cold night any time now, so keep an eye on the forecast. Be sure to have a few of the extra large black trash bags handy to put over each plant if needed.
The stores are full of fall bulbs now. Buy there or order from mail order catalogs. I prefer the catalogs as they have a much larger selection. Bulbs can be planted as soon as the soil cools off. The first of October is a good time. In fact, any time after that, until the ground freezes will work.
If you have a holiday cactus in the house, put it outside now. They need a good chill, (not freezing) in order to set their flower buds. They will probably need to be out there for a few weeks. As soon as you can see the tiny "mouse ears" which are the buds, bring them back indoors and keep in a sunny window.
If you have some bare patches in your lawn, now is a great time to reseed them. Grass seed germinates well in cooler soil.
Most of us enjoy seeing butterflies. Have you ever wondered why we don't see the monarchs here? There is a simple reason: We don't live in a "flyway." The western flyway runs from Canada down along the coast into California. The butterflies winter over in monterey pine and eucalyptus groves, mostly around a place called Pacific Grove, just south of San Francisco. In early spring, they head back up to Canada where they spend the summers.
The return trip isn't made by the same butterflies that flew south in the fall. It is made in stages by their children and grandchildren. Scientists now know that their internal compass is not in their brain but in their antennae.
Monarchs living east of the Rocky mountains overwinter in the mountains of northeastern Mexico and spend their summers in southeastern Canada.
My thought for the day: I hope someday to be the person my dog thinks I am.
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 currently secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.