Turpin Landscaping Inc. of Coatesvilleand Senn Landscaping Inc. of Eagle will hold their inaugural Deliciously Enchanting Twilight Pond Tour and Moonlight Reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Moonlight Reception (free with your purchase of a $15 pond tour tickets) will immediately follow the tour (location announced on the tickets).
This eagerly anticipated event highlights the fascinating water features that can only be truly appreciated through night's eerie glow. Eight select ponds in Exton, Chester Springs, Glenmoore (and surrounding areas) have been hand-chosen for this spooktacular event.
The ponds featured will highlight Halloween displays boasting thousands of lights, captivating landscape lighting and hypnotic underwater illumination. For those in the know, fish and flora features take on a new life under the glow of the stars. This tour is self-guided and tickets/directions can be obtained from the ticket sellers.
Please respond quickly to 610-380-1119 so that organizers can plan for an accurate number at the reception!
The Moonlight Reception, held at a tour home will include refreshments and a performance by the student jazz ensemble from the School at Church Farm.
Tickets are also available at Turpin Landscaping in Exton, Turpin Pond Source in Coatesville, Senn Landscaping in Eagle, Agway in West Chester and Pottstown, and Sommerset Nursery. Prceeds will benefit the Chester County Hero Fund, which helps the families of firefighters and police officers injured in hte line of dury through financial aid and scholarships (wwww.chestercountyherofund.com).

Here's just a little something that I got from the National Home Gardening for all your water gardening enthusiasts on preparing your aquatic garden for winter.

When frost starts nipping at your garden, it's time to think about winterizing ponds and other water features. The experts at TetraPond offer the following tips:
Cut back lilies and other deep-water plants to 1 inch above the tip. Replace soil and gravel, as needed.
Move plants to deeper water if you live in a climate where ponds freeze.
Cut back all growth on bog plants surrounding your pond and mulch with 6 inches of straw.
Place tender floating plants like water hyacinth in a 3-inch water-filled tray and move them to a frost-free shed or greenhouse. (This is a new one for me, I never thought about saving my hyacinths, maybe I'll give it a try.)
When temperatures drop and fish spend most of their time on the bottom of the pond, stop feeding them.
Clean out leaves and twigs that fall into the pond and remove as much duckweed as possible.
Use a de-icer to keep a small area of the pond ice-free. This helps fish survive by creating a spot for harmful gasses to escape.
Turn off filters, then clean them and store them inside.
Spend the time now to keep your water features happy and healthy—so when spring comes, you'll be ready! Looks like I've got my work cut out for me this weekend ...

Well, I can fool myself no longer, summer's really gone. We had our first frost Sunday night. And just like that, everything changes.
When I went home at lunch time yesterday, I took stock of the gardens. The elephant ears that were so big and bold, are now shriveled up and hanging over.


The tall and proud, purple Persian Shield (that I must have every season), is black and crinkled.


The banana plant (Musa Basjoo) that I coddled all summer, which was finally starting to shoot up in height, oddly, this past month, has withered and turned brown almost instantly.


And, as I turned on the bubbler for the fish, I noticed that all the food I had thrown in before leaving for work, was still floating on the top. Which means the water temp has dropped below 50 degrees (the fish stop eating when the water gets too cold).
End of Summer Bummer ... sigh

So now it's time to dig up all the elephant ear bulbs, caladiums, dahlias, cannas and other tender bulbs and rhizomes, preferably as soon as possible. Take off the dead foliage and carefully store them in a cool dark place until next spring.

You can still continue to divide perennials, just make sure to cover any tender new plantings on night's when frost is expected. Just until they have a chance to root in.

Pull out impatiens, roots, dirt and all, and throw them into the compost. This green matter and soil microorganisms are an excellent combination with dry tree leaves.

And for Pete's sake, get those spring bulbs into the ground (that goes for me too)! Times running out. The ground is still relatively warm, but we can't be sure for how long!

Don't forget to water new plantings!

Oh, and if you have one, now's the time to start last year's Christmas amaryllis. That is if you have kept it unwatered for six weeks to induced dormancy. This worked for me the first year. Last year I only got green foliage (no blooms), because I didn't have it out in the sun over the summer. And this year, having left in out on the patio for the season, it got to waterlogged and rotted. So, if you don't have time to go to the trouble, just head over to any nursery or big box garden center, and buy a new one. But get it started soon if you want a big beautiful bloom by Christmas!

Hi everybody, sorry to leave you all hanging for so long, but I've been recuperating from all the cuts I received a week ago, while tying up my ornamental grasses!

Not really, but I did manage to get quite a few cuts, doing this and other weekend chores. You see, I remembered to wear protective gloves while tying up the grasses. However, I did not remember to wear long sleeves! So I must stress to the rest of you, if you're planning to tie up your grasses, rather than cutting them back for the winter, make sure you wear proper protection. The fine blades of the grass can wreak havoc on your skin. And while it doesn't sound that bad, imagine 20-30 little paper cuts all up and down your arms!
Anyway, I choose to tie up my grasses rather than cut them back. Either option will not harm the grasses in any way (it's pretty difficult to kill grass). I like the way they look throughout the fall and into the winter. And as I've stated before, in the spring when I do cut them back, I save the cuttings, tie them together, store them in the shed and viola, come fall I have unique decorations for the front of my house.

As pictured here, they are a economical/ecological way to decorate, instead of buying corn husks.

Over this past weekend, I managed to get a few things on my To Do list done. Like cleaning up the leaves on the patio - this has become a regular chore over the last month. It seems like the dynamics of my patio make for a perfect gathering place for leaves ... so every weekend I go out with my handy-dandy Black & Decker leaf machine and suck them up. With three dogs, I get plenty of leaves inside the house as well, and it all goes into the compost pile with grass clippings from the lawn. The combination of green matter and brown matter makes for a good base for next year's compost. (Of course, I'm still hoping for a good yield of compost, after failing miserably the last two seasons.)
And the leaves don't just end up on the patio ... the pond is full of them too. So Saturday it was time to get the net out! I hate getting the net out, it's my last admission of defeat (that the summer's really over), but it had to be done or the fish wouldn't have any room to swim! Anyway, in preparation for covering the pond, the summer pond plants had to be removed as well. So that means the canna and black taro got taken out to die back from the cold nights, and then placed in the basement to hibernate till next year. The net tends to confuse the frogs too.

Black Taro
And since my neighbors have left for their winter home in Florida and covered their pond already, I have more frogs to tend to. So I can't completely cover my pond, or the frogs wouldn't be able to get in or out. It usually takes a couple of days to figure out exactly where they are comfortable jumping in/out, so I can leave that end a little open. Every now and then over the years, I find a frog early in the morning sitting in the middle of the net, confused, cold and in need of rescue!
Still have to plant the dward rhododendrons my previous neighbors left me when they moved a couple months ago ... time's running out. And I still haven't planted my precious Allium bulbs yet. If you still have any perennials, bulbs or shrubs left to plant, get them in the ground ASAP. Especially since last night we actually had frost.
And most important (because I've been forgetting this one too) WATER! This month's lack of rain has not been kind to our plant life. Especially for any new plantings, get out and water! Just because summer flowering season is over, don't forget your plants still need water ... I can't stress this enough. Water early in the day, if possible, since the temperature has been dipping at night, it's not a good idea to wait until near dusk to water. You wouldn't want to be out there at night all wet ...

This weekend, why not take the time to get out of the garden and enjoy some more Fall Festivals.

Topping my list is the 6th Annual Fall Fest at the Farmer's Daughter Farm Market, 3190 Schuylkill Road, Spring City. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, bring the family and enjoy hay rides to the corn mazes, a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, fire truck, face painting, hay jump, pumpkin painting, baby farm animals, inflatable slide and moon bounce.
There will also be hot dogs and soda and pony rides! While you're there, take the time to enter a raffle for great prizes, including an autographed guitar by Martina McBride.
On hand will also be a fine selection of fall decorations, painted pumpkins, corn stalks, straw bales, crafts, mums, kale, gourds and Indian corn. Everything you need to complete your fall decorating.
The event is sponsored by Keller Williams, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen for the cure, breast cancer foundation.
For information call 610-495-4555. Hope to see you there.

In downtown Pottstown Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. it's the Schuylkill River Festival. Held at Riverfront Park along College Drive, the event will feature "flamin' Celtic music" from Burning Bridget Cleary and "flamin' Blues" from Beaucoup Blue.
Also being offered up to attendees are two art shows, kayaking, environmental "green" workshops, geo-caching, a bike raffle, arts and crafts vendors, Native American exhibits and performance, food and beverages and a Riverwalk with Author Jane Kirkland.
For the kids, more arts and crafts, face painting, a scarecrow contest, clothesline art show, wildlife activities and biking on the Schuylkill River Trail.Free admission!



In Berks County, Morgantown, to be specific, it's time again for fall's Hay Creek Apple Festival. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, you can indulge yourself in the aromas, the tastes, the laughter, the sounds, of all the delicious foods and family fun available at Historic Joanna Furnace. The festival was recently recognized by Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine and begins with an AYCE apple pancake breakfast, served from 7-10 a.m.

So get on out from under all that yard work Saturday and enjoy the fall. And don't forget to look all around you while your driving to your destination, this weekend begins the best of Fall Foliage in Pennsylvania!

The frost is on the pumpkin, and it's time to make the last preparations for winter, or so says the National Home Gardening Club. Here a few things "to do" now for those of us who garden in the Northeast.


Divide herbs and place in pots for a windowsill garden.

Cover ponds with netting to prevent predatory birds and animals, such as egrets and raccoons, from stealing decorative fish.


Winterize your garden tools. Clean, sharpen, and lubricate metal parts; refinish wooden handles with mineral oil or varnish.

Drain fuel from engines.

Replace worn or cheap tools with top-quality products: They're an investment in health, safety, and enjoyment.

Plant containers of pansies for winter and spring color. They're incredibly hardy, and come back during warm spells.

Mark perennials you want to divide next spring.


Pull up annuals and put them in the compost pile. Turn and aerate the pile thoroughly, and sprinkle a handful of organic compost activator if necessary.

Deeply water evergreen trees and shrubs before the ground freezes. Water deciduous trees and shrubs until they've dropped their leaves.

And don't forget your feathered friends! Put up a bird feeder to help wild birds have a secure winter.



So add these to your check list this weekend and enjoy the time outside. Remember, it won't be too long before we're all stuck inside, dreaming of next year's glorious garden!

OK everybody, it you haven't done so yet, today is the day to bring in any houseplants that might still be outside! A Frost Warning is in effect for the northern and western suburbs of Philadelphia tonight and tomorrow night!
So that means, bring it in (houseplants), cover any fresh plantings and get ready to dig up those taro, elephant ear and canna bulbs! You don't have to dig them up today, but if there is a frost, any vegetation will be dead and/or dying tomorrow. You can either cut the foliage off or dig up the bulb and wait for it to turn brown and fall off.
And don't forget to wash those houseplants. Set them in your shower and give them a good rinse. Then examine each individually, removing bugs and yellowed growth. Repotting can wait till spring.

This past weekend provided the perfect weather for some much-needed yard work. So I spent yesterday outside getting reacquainted with the garden and starting the task of dismantling some of my oasis. It was time to say good-bye to my solar tiki torches, the rope light flamingos and my floating parrot boat till next summer :(

But I didn't mind getting rid of my spindly tomato plants at all! Tearing down the vegetable garden almost seemed like a labor of love!

Funny how things seem to run their course each summer ... from first planting the young seedlings, watching them grow, imagining all the fresh vegetables ... waiting and waiting for the first tomatoes to turn red, savoring those first few home-grown salads ...Then a few weeks later, bribing coworkers just to take all the excess tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc. off my hands ... Also, mowing the lawn doesn't seem like such a horrible task anymore, now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. There should only be a few more cuts till next year!
I also finally got that Japanese Maple I bought way back in July planted. And I recommend that the rest of you do the same with any new purchases of perennials as well as shrubs. Plant now so that the roots have time to get established before the ground freezes. There is still a little time left to divide those perennials too. I divided all mine last fall, so they get a break this year (I try to leave 2-3 seasons between divisions). Although just about any perennial can be divided, I wouldn't bother dividing any fall bloomers right now. Wait till they start coming up next spring.
Also get any new spring bulbs in the ground now. I'm telling you this, while my newly-bought alliums still sit on the kitchen table. Hey, I couldn't get everything done in just one day!
Now is also the time to transplant trees, evergreens, shrubs and perennials. So if there's anything you didn't like the position of this year, move it! Just make sure to give it plenty of water over the next couple weeks.
And last but not least, I finally got the front of the house decorated for fall, just before dusk ... So I didn't get a chance to take any photos yet, bear with me ...

For those of you, like me, who haven't gotten around to your fall decorating yet, I just received an email from my favorite greenhouse, Glick's, in Oley, stating "Last Chance for Mums."

Yikes, is it that time already? Am I actually that late ... I mean, I haven't even gotten the chance to get down to Ott's Exotic Plants yet to see the Mountain of Mums in the parking lot. (If you've never been, it's really something to see.) Ott's is on Route 29 in Schwenksville. A quick search of the Internet didn't turn up a website, but there are directions available on various map sites.


Back to Glick's: Beginning today, fully blooming mums are being discounted to $3.50 each or 3 for $10. Purple Fountain Grass is only $5 a pot and the dollar sale remains in place for 2-qt. and 1-gallon perennials. 1-qt. perennials are only 50 cents! Now's a great time to stock up on these, get them in the ground immediately and reap the benefits next Spring!

However, don't plan on planting any mums after using them for display this fall. They won't have enough time to get established before the ground freezes.

Of course, they're still offering partially blooming mums for $4.25 each or 5 for $20and ornamental kale/cabbage for the same prices. Icicle pansies, blooming now and again in early winter, are $4.50 per 6-pack. For more information on this attractive winter flower visit http://www.iciclepansy.com/



So get on out this weekend and get those Fall bargains! Even if you don't want to make the trip to Glick's, I sure all the local greenhouses and nurseries are full of things to decorate your landscape with.

Glick's Greenhouse is located at 57 Fisher Mill Road in Oley. For information visit www.glicksgreenhouse.com or call 610-689-9856. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Sorry for leaving all of you hanging for a week. But since last weekend was a complete wash-out and the days are getting shorter, there hasn't been a lot going on in my garden besides the usual pond maintenance -- which has really been getting on my nerves lately.


I still haven't decorated for fall yet, and being October, I think it's time to take in my Tribal Council tiki lights! The rope-light Flamingos will also be flying south for the winter, to be replaced by my pumpkin and skull lights! Maybe this weekend will be better ...


Coming up, I'm hoping to blog about dividing perennials (tis the time again), mums, rain gardens, fall planting (no, I haven't planted my new bulbs yet), preparing for next spring and my end of season wrap-up on what worked and what didn't this year. Also, I still have to plant that Japanese Maple that sat on my patio all summer in a pot. Finally decided on a good spot.

But for now, how about some fun Fall Festivals coming up this weekend?


Beginning with Frecon Farms Fall Harvest Festival this Saturday in Boyertown. Come celebrate their harvest with Pick Your Own, live bluegrass music, Food Farmacy promotions, wine tasting from Blair Vineyards, gourmet foods and gift baskets for the most bountiful time of year! Children can tour around the orchard while mom and dad learn more about locally sourced foods and nutritional benefits of everyday foods. Share recipe ideas, carve pumpkins and celebrate the outdoors with everything nature has to offer.
Frecon Orchards Outlet is located on Route 562, just west of Boyertown, PA. Our address is 501 South Reading Avenue. For directions, go to http://www.freconfarms.com/directions.cfm.


Also on Saturday in Harleysville, the 35th Annual Apple Butter Frolic happens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Indian Creek Road Farm.
The Frolic celebrates the harvest season with delicious Pennsylvania German food, fun activities for children and interesting folk craft and farming demonstrations.
Parking for the festival is available at Harleysville Insurance, 355 Maple Ave., Harleysville, with continuous shuttle buses traveling the short disance to the Frolic.
Admission is $6 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12 and free to children under 6. Proceeds support the Mennonite Heritage Center. The Frolic will be held rain or shine. It is requested that visitors do not bring pets to the festival.
For more information call the center at 215-256-3020 or visit www.mhep.org


The John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove welcomes shorter days and crisp autumn air with the Harvest Market Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Guests are invited to vsit JJAC to take part in family-friendly activities and events that run throughout the day.
Events include corn husk doll making, demonstrations of apple cider pressing, folktales about the crow, childrens' games and prizes, a gourd birdhouse workshop, and more. Most activities are free, but some require a nominal fee. It's a great chance to make some new fall decorations!
The highlight of the festivalwill once again by the Harvest Market, where visitors are encourged to support local farmers, merchants and craftsmen by purchasing a variety of goods. In addition to local product, organic baked goods, native plants, homemade jellies and james and more, guests will be able to purchase a variety of taste-tempting treats like candied apples and apple butter in addition to southern style barbecue offered by the Bridgeport Rib House!
This year, JJAC's first Invitational Fine Craft Show will begin at 9 a.m. and continue till 5 p.m., after the rest of the festival has closed.
Admission is free during the festivities. For more information call 610-666-5593 x101. Event is held rain or shine!

And for a chance to purchase unique vases and/or pots to display your garden treasures, visit the Fall Pottery Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. over at Stahl's Pottery, alon Corning Road in Zionsville.
The festival features tours of the potting sheds and klin, 25 potters displaying and selling contemporary pottery, pottery demonstrations, hands-on potting opportunities, an exhibit of historic Stahl's pottery, baked goods and a light lunch.
A special feature of this year's festival is the sale of the newly published book "Stahl's Pottery of Powder Valley" with book signing by authors Anne W. Goda and Barbara R. Goda. This book contains an informative history of the Stahl's Pottery, including a 16-page color portfolio of pottery pieces made at Stahl's and over 75 historic b/w photographs.
Another rain or shine event. For information visit www.stahlspottery.org or call 610-965-5019.