MY GARDEN PATH: Things are going to be cooling off

Believe it or not, the official first day of autumn is almost here … Sept. 22. This seemed to be an awfully short summer. Let's hope for a nice long fall.

In the meantime, lets enjoy what we've got, one day at a time. There are always plenty of yard and garden chores to keep us busy. Be sure to save some seeds of those plants that will “come true” for you. Don't bother with anything that's been hybridized as they won't bloom the same as the parent plant.

Now is the time to apply the last of the lawn fertilizers. This will not only get the lawn to looking good, but will bring it through winter in good shape. It's too late to be applying fertilizer to most other plants as it will encourage new growth which may not get a chance to toughen up before any bad weather arrives.

Our little friends, the hummingbirds, will be heading south about the middle of this month. In order to help them with that long flight, be sure to clean and refill their feeders one more time. They'll need all the nourishment they can get to “fatten up” a bit before leaving.

Speaking of flying things, I hope you saw more butterflies this summer than I did. My count got up to the big number of three! The only thing I can blame it on is too much pesticide being used. That stuff not only kills the “bad bugs,” it also kills all the good guys.

Now that we're into September, be sure to cut the tops off those tomato plants. Doing that tells each plant that it's time to ripen up those tomatoes. Keep your eye on the forecasts. Any time there's a night which is to be down under 50, you'll want to toss a sheet or something over your plants. Tomatoes definitely do not like to get chilled.

I'm seeing lots of chrysanthemum plants for sale now. Even though these are classified as perennials in our area, that's not always the case. Mums do a lot better here if they can be planted in the spring and have all summer to settle in. The problem is that it's often hard to find any of these plants in the spring. Luckily, the fall asters don't seem to have the same bad luck as they're more available through the season. Luckily, my asters are nice and tall and full of buds.

We'll soon be seeing bulbs in the stores. If you enjoy seeing flowers, from tulips, daffodils and other spring bloomers, go ahead and buy some. Fall is the time to plant these. If you wait too long, the ground will freeze up and you'll be out of luck. That time seems a long way off, but it will be here before you know it.

I recently came over a list of what to call a grouping of certain animals. For instance, a group of hyenas is called a “cackle.” Then there's a “leap” of leopards, a “barrel” of monkeys and a “prickle” of porcupines.

I've seen very few yellow jackets this summer. Can't say I've missed them as the little terrors have stung me quite a few times over the years. Bumble bees have always left me alone, so I enjoy seeing those. Honeybees seem to constantly visit and as long as they leave me alone, I leave them alone. They enjoy my Bee Balm and Statice plants too.

Keep this little saying in mind: “One Who Plants a Garden Plants Happiness.”

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Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column has appeared in the Press every other Sunday from early March to late October for the past 12 years.