Mums the Word

The fall is he time for planting mums. And many people wish to purchase mums year to year like a annual. Yet if all things were to work out, you could keep the same plant in the ground year after year. And first and foremost make sure your are giving all your outdoor plants, shrubs and trees a healthy drink of water./
All though it will be irresistible to do, when the mums die back this fall do not cut them back. Leave the dead wood on them all winter until you see good growth in the spring. Mulching the crown of the plant in the winter is also very helpful. In the spring do not uncover the plant of mulch too early as a hard frost or cold will kill tender new growth. When you get the mum growing you will need to continually pinch back. A lot of old timers will tell you to do this around the fourth of July. I say do it as the growth comes and do it often to keep the plant tight to prevent legginess and create more blooms. Although I do not have this option at the campus, we have been able to keep a few in years past that made it for a whole other season. I would say this is much of what Yankee Candle does with the mums they have in their display.

Maple Trees
There are many varieties of the Acer here in Western Mass. And if you look around a good number are in fall color form. Some are in early color from drought. Some are in color due to past problems of decline and some its just there time. The maple gives you a vast variety of color,hue and beauty. This year I predict for a early foliage season, and if you blink, you will miss the maples array of color.

H2O
Keep that water pumping. Even with a chance of rain next week, we still need at least 5 inch's of rain to catch up.

Finetio
My biggest pet peeve is  landscapers who claim they are the greatest thing on earth when they are really ripping off most of there customers. Most are doing more damage then good with their zero turn mowers and in a lot of cases when they try and do the right thing it only exemplifies the problem. Also how can any of them claim to be true groundskeepers,greens keepers,landscapers or property managers if they can not even take care of their own property. So I would suggest if you are considering hiring a company for mowing, planting or any other grounds needs you should check and see what their property looks like.

P.S Its hard to get your finger nails dirty when the soil is like dried sugar.

                                             E.P.