​Late summer is the ideal time to plan for your early spring forcing.  Most of us are familiar with forcing springs bulbs such as paper whites, tulips, and daffodils.  But what about forcing rhubarb, foam flower, and forsythia?   Enjoy the joys of gardening before the snow melts next March…or April…or May!

​ Spring Bulbs    Most spring bulbs need a 12-15 week chilling period.  Try dwarf species or hybrids for the best results.  I plant mine in potting soil in nursery pots and put them in the vegetable crisper and covered with plastic to keep in the moisture.  Be sure to label with the date and species.  Paper whites are the exception needing no chilling period.  I keep those bulbs in the fridge unpotted.   When you are ready for some blooms, bring them out.  You can repot in an attractive container and water.  Don’t water again until growth begins.  I water with 7 parts water and 1 part alcohol (I use an old bottle of vodka) to keep them from flopping. 
 Rhubarb   You can freeze stems for use during the fall and winter.  But if you forgot and need to divide your rhubarb now is an excellent time to not only divide but get rhubarb next spring weeks before it is ready in the garden.    According to Rhubarb-Central.Com ( http://www.rhubarb-central.com/forcing-rhubarb.html)   “the cultivation methods for forcing rhubarb was developed as early as the 1800's. Commercial growers of rhubarb use special forcing sheds, or hot houses, but the home gardener can successfully force rhubarb in a home cellar, a garage, or another outbuilding.  Forcing rhubarb can also be done outdoors, in the garden.”  The process is a bit involved and I recommend that you do some research before proceeding. 

​Perennials   According to Tovah Martin in The Unexpected Houseplant,  “Foam flowers (Tiarella cordifolia)   are disarmingly easy to grow indoors.  They often blossom a month or more before their leaves begin to emerge outside and they stay in bloom for a long duration of fulfillment.”  Now is the time to dig up and pot some to bring indoors.  They like indirect light and just enough moisture so they don’t dry out.    Other perennials that make good winter houseplants are Coral Bells (Heuchera) and Sea thrift (Armeria maritime).   If you plan to travel south this winter, plan to stop at a nursery on your way home and pick up a perennial that you can enjoy in the house early and then plant in the garden later.  Try Bleeding heart (Dicentra Spectablis), and Lenten Rose (Helleborus) for a good-looking plant that blooms and makes a fine temporary houseplant.  
Trees and Shrubs    We are familiar with gathering pussy willows in the spring and watch them bloom.  You can do the same with a number of spring blooming shrubs and trees.  Many ornamental trees and shrubs set their flower buds during the previous growing season and need a period of dormancy of about six weeks.  The buds usually open about 2-3 weeks after being exposed to warmth and moisture.  If you are pruning in later winter, pick a day when the temperature is above freezing to help the branch make the transition to indoor temperatures.   If you force a branch without success, try again a few weeks later.  Forsythias, Witch hazels, cherries, lilacs, Rhododendron, Serviceberries, Birches, Red Maple, and Willows can all be forced.    

​GRANDMA MINNIE'S BOWL: Every year I bring out a wood bowl for the start of the garden season. Looks homemade with a tomato motif on the inside. It's off kilter and well worn. I love to pile up the seasonal garden treats in it. Now is at the absolute end of the season. I had my last BLT. The garden shed has been turned over and is now the snowmobile garage. So the bowl is officially put away until next season.

It is time to bring in your houseplants from their summer vacation outdoors.  This includes any tender plants that you plan to overwinter inside.  Many of our houseplants and tender perennials are from the tropics and get stressed when nighttime temperatures dip lower than 50°.  I used to scramble the night of the first killing frost to bring these plants inside.  It was stressful both for me and my plants. 

I now start moving houseplants and tender perennials to shadier spots in the garden around the beginning to mid-September.  This gives them time to acclimate to the lower light conditions in our homes.   ​

Oh how I wish all things would be this easy!  The picture above left is a fresh flower arrangement that I put together on October 1 just before our first frost.  The one on the right is what I have on my kitchen island today.  What do they have in common?  

​Elevation 1313 Feet.  I live at the confluence of the east and west forks that start the Chippewa River.  It flows 180 miles to join the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin that is the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River, located about 60 miles south of Saint Paul and on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

It seems each year there are lessons that nature provides if I’m paying attention and this year was no different.  I gained new knowledge in five areas this year.  

​It’s the middle of October and I just checked the soil temperature.  In my garden it is 45 degrees.  We had our first hard freeze last night.  It’s time to plant bulbs! 
 
Many of us plant tulips and daffodils, but there is so much more that you can plant in the fall.  These are generally referred to as bulbous plants.  They have bulbs, tubers, rhizomes or corms that swell into a food storage organ enabling the plant to survive when it is dormant.  

​My fall chore list has become shorter over the years as I have discovered easier methods of dealing with leaves on the lawn with frequent mowing with my mulching lawn mower.  Leaves that land in the perennial beds are left there to provide protection over the winter.  The only area that I clean up is the vegetable garden by removing dead material after the frost. 

Believe it or not – it is almost time to start bringing in your houseplants from the summer vacation outdoors.  Don't wait until the first freeze/frost warnings are posted for the fall.  Many of our houseplants are from the tropics and get stressed when nighttime temperatures dip lower than 50°.  I start by moving the houseplants to shadier spots in the garden around the beginning of September.  This gives them time to acclimate to the lower light conditions in our homes.   ​