What a beautiful weekend it was! Just perfect for working in the garden. However, that's not what I did. Even though I should have gotten up to my elbows in dirt, I decided to sit back by the pond with a couple books and magazines and enjoy the last days of summer.
Yes, aside from mowing the lawn, I ignored all the little chores waiting for me, and just enjoyed the sounds of the waterfall, the warmth of the sun and nature, in general.
And now I'm going to have to pay for it.

This morning started out OK, until I let the dogs out and saw that the waterfall (which looked fine all weekend) was now weakly trickling into the pond. Guess I should have cleaned the filter over the weekend. Of course, I barely leave myself enough time in the morning to get ready and get out the door on time for work, so there was absolutely no time to deal with this!

So I plugged in the bubbler, unplugged the waterfall pump and figured the fish would just have to fend for themselves until later. Yet another thing for my "to do" list. All summer long I was going to get around to buying a piece of pond liner to put underneath the waterfall to catch any backflow of water that might develop if the pump and/or filter got too clogged. Of course, I never got around to it. And every time this happens, I think, why do I keep putting this off?
My latest excuse is, "Well, it's coming to the end of the season and I'll be turning off the waterfall soon, so why bother this year. Let it go until next spring and deal with it then."
I also didn't get around to any fall decorating or planting. But I did manage to get some new bulbs last night. We trekked out to Lowe's before dinner yesterday for some household items and I was pleasantly surprised to find a great selection of bulbs just inside the main entrance.

As you may know, I've been eager to get some Allium bulbs and they had two kinds on hand. I opted for two Gladiator Alliums, at a price of $6.97 each! But hey, they get four feet tall and have 7-inch globe blooms. Then there was a smaller variety where 8 bulbs were offered for the same price. These only get to be about 2-ft. tall with smaller globes. Now, of course, I have to decide where to put them!
Oh well, I guess I have my work cut out for me tonight. And on top of all that, it'll be getting dark right after 7 p.m., so time's limited.
So while we still have a couple hours of light after work, time to think about dividing those perennials. It's the perfect time of year for that. More on this later ...

OK kiddies, if you haven't done it yet, it's time to go thru all those fall planting catalogs that have piling up next to the couch. If you're like me, when my fall catalogs arrive around about mid-June, the last thing I want to think about is MORE planting! Afterall, I just sweated thru planting and mulching my spring-summer crop.
And, if you're really smart, you'll wait till the catalog companies get desperate and send out their late fall planting catalogs with all the great deals in them!

Anyway, now is about the time you'd better get any orders in, or you'll be stuck on a wait list and may end up not getting what you want. But before you order, be sure you have the time to plant those shipments of bulbs and bare roots when they arrive, or they won't have enough time to establish themselves before the ground freezes!
Here's a rundown of some of the catalogs I get. Fortunately they all have web sites, so you can look online or just go there to order your own catalog. And then take the time to get some iced tea or other cool beverage, find a comfortable seat in your oasis, and peruse the catalogs dreaming of next year's garden ...
Michigan Bulb, www.mibulb.com -- has almost everything you could want, affordable prices. I've ordered from them before with a 50-50 rate of success.
Spring Hill Nurseries, www.SpringHillNursery.com -- currently offering $25 off shipments of $50 or more. I have no personal experience ordering from them, but I'm thinking of ordering Allium this year.
Breck's, www.brecks.com -- slashing prices on fall favorites.Also offering a $25 gift coupon in their catalog for orders of $25 or more, that can be upgraded another $10 if your purchase is more than $75.
Van Engelen Inc., www.vanengelen.com -- the "Best Dutch flower bulbs at the best prices!" Anything you could imagine, check them out.
John Scheepers Inc., www.johnscheepers.com -- "serving America's finest gardens for 100 years!" Their Beauty From Bulbs Fall 2008 catalog is very impressive.
New Holland Bulb Company, www.newhollandbulb.com -- Tulips, Daffodils and Lillies, oh my! I never knew there were so many varieties, it's hard to choose!
Netherland Bulb Company, www.netherlandbulb.com -- "The Catalog for Landscape Professionals," probably the same quality as New Holland, seems to be produced in the same place.
And don't forget www.bloomingbulb.com , they have a great supply of fall bulbs as well.
Also many of these companies offer complete garden packages and combination and/or variety packages of fall bulbs/bare roots. Take advantage now and save. Just think how great it will look next spring!

Allium

Frittillaria (Crown Imperial)
Personally, I'm hoping to add some Allium and Frittillaria (Crown Imperial), pictured above, to my collection this Fall. But I classically wait too long and they're usually sold out. But, hopefully, not this year ... I just heard from a little bird that some of our local big box home improvement stores have some of the bulbs I'm looking for. Hope I get there before you do!