One of the great things about the fall season is that it presents the opportunity to enjoy the vivid color of chrysanthemums, helping gardeners to achieve four-season interest in their gardens. Chrysanthemum flowers are also a favorite of florists for arrangements, due to the longevity of their blooms.

Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The flower was introduced into Japan in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. Today there is still a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan celebrating the flower. Mums were brought to Europe in the 17th century and the rest of the world has enjoyed them ever since.

Modern chrysanthemums are much more showy than their wild relatives. The flowers occur in many flower forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. Chrysanthemums come in a wide variety of colors, including white, off-white, yellow, gold, bronze, red, burgundy, pink, lavender and purple.

Chrysanthemum plants can grow to be 2-3 feet high, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. There are "hardy mums" and "florist mums." Hardy mums put out stolons. Florist mums put out few or no stolons, which makes them less likely to over-winter in cold regions.

Mums look best planted in a mass--but for good health don't overcrowd them, since good air circulation reduces the chance of disease.

Plant chrysanthemum flowers in full sun and well-drained soil, enriched with a soil conditioner. Chrysanthemums are "photoperiodic," meaning they bloom in response to the shorter days and longer nights experienced in fall. Therefore, do not plant chrysanthemum flowers near street lights or night lights: the artificial lighting may wreak havoc with the chrysanthemums' cycle.

We invite you to visit us and take some hardy mums home for your garden to brighten up your autumn garden. Chrysanthemums also make great housewarming gifts--and your friends will thank you for thinking about them. So remember, mum's the word!

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All the crazy weather we have had this summer across the country serves as a great reminder to make sure to address any slope erosion problems before they arise. And fall is a great time of year to plant shrubs and ground covers that can help to prevent a hillside from slipping away.

Consider that the upcoming cool months provide a time when plant roots grow fast and the need for water is less apparent for new plantings. You and your newly planted stock now have an advantage over the hot summer sun or cold winter nights.

To see if you have a potential hillside erosion problem, be alert for these tell-tale signs:

• Bare spots anywhere on your property
• Tree roots exposed above ground
• Small stones or rocks appearing on the ground surface
• Small rills or gullies beginning to form
• Build-up of silt in certain areas
• Soil splashed on windows and outside walls
• Soil washout along driveways

A number of excellent plant and groundcover choices not only thrive with the good drainage conditions of most hillsides but will also go a long way in providing protection from heavy rains. The key is to plant a mixture of plant types and sizes. You want to have layers of vegetation for rainfall to hit, so it will be diffused before it reaches the ground. Generally the larger the plant grows, the deeper its roots, so don't neglect the larger, slower-growing plants.

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One of fall's most important and exciting jobs is to start buying and planting spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs are easy plants to grow. They have a mystique bordering on the miraculous, but growing them here in Southern California is different from growing them in the East or Midwest.

Many bulbs need to undergo a cold winter in order to bloom; here in California, we can give them the chill they need by placing these types in the vegetable drawer for a period of about 6-8 weeks prior to planting. These bulbs should generally not be left in the ground when the foliage has died down after they bloom. They should be lifted and stored in a cool, well-aired area (keeping them in a brown paper bag is a good idea), then re-refrigerated once again 6-8 weeks prior to planting the following spring.

There are several types of bulbs that can be naturalized (left in the ground) and will bloom reliably each spring without any winter chill at all. Many of these are drought resistant, and are unbelievably easy to grow.

BUY BULBS NOW TO PLANT LATER

Bulb season is short and garden centers generally order a finite amount of stock, so begin purchasing spring-flowering bulbs as soon as possible. They soon get picked over and sometimes get put back in the wrong bins. Do your research on the more exotic bulbs; some are not suited to our temperate climate. Choose the largest and fattest bulbs (because they produce the biggest blooms) and make sure the bulb is firm and not spongy. Make sure you label each bag with the type of bulb, its color and its recommended planting depth and spacing.

Bulbs to naturalize

Among the best bulbs to naturalize in California are daffodils (Narcissus), Dutch iris, grape hyacinth (Muscari), Freesia, Sparaxis, Ixia, Watsonia, Lycoris and Crocosmia. Included in the Narcissus family are the popular paperwhites; they will be the first to bloom in this group and are prized for their heady fragrance.

Dutch iris and Freesia make wonderful cut flowers. Daffodils can also be used for bouquets, but if you plan to use them in a mixed arrangement with other flowers, their stems must be seared with an open flame after cutting - the sap in the plant will cause the other flowers to wilt quickly. If you have a gopher problem however, daffodils are a great choice; because they are poisonous, gophers will not eat them (unlike tulips, which they love).

When planting these types of bulbs, it is best not to be too precise in their placement - this will give a much more natural, much less contrived look to the planting area. A good method for placement is to take a handful of bulbs and gently toss them - where they land is where they will be planted.

Eventually (usually in about 3-4 years), the bulbs will become overcrowded and their blooms will decline. When this happens, it is time to divide the clump and replant the bulbs; you will probably have quite a few to share with family and friends!

Bulbs that require pre-chilling and lifting

Tulips and hyacinths require much more winter chill than we receive in California. For this reason, they must be chilled in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator before planting. What will happen if you skip this step? If they bloom at all, the flowers will be borne on very short stems - not very attractive, especially for a tulip.

After the foliage has all turned brown (never cut off green foliage on a bulb - it is through the foliage that it gets the necessary nutrients to bloom the following year), the bulbs must then be dug up and stored as detailed above. While they may sprout and bloom the following year if left in the ground, they will not be as vigorous or as floriferous and eventually they will decline completely. They also may rot due to overwatering during their dormant state, when they have no means to use water; this is a particular problem in beds with other plants that must be watered over the summer.

Bulbs that can be planted without pre-chilling, but won't naturalize well

Ranunculus and anemones do not need pre-chilling, but it is best if they are lifted (after the foliage has withered and died), stored in a well-aired place and replanted each spring. Like tulips and hyacinths, they tend to decline each year when left in the ground. They should not be eliminated from the bulb garden because of this, though. They put on such a beautiful display that, even if you treated them as an annual, it would be worth it. Both ranunculus and anemones make great cut flowers.

Buy early, wait a bit to plant

Even though it will be tempting to plant your little beauties as soon as you return from the garden center, we strongly advise you wait a little longer before planting them. They will perform much better if you plant them in mid- to late October, when the daytime temperatures have cooled down and the nights are crisp and fresh. For the time being, keep them in brown paper bags in the garage; you can congratulate yourself on the fact that you "beat the crowd" to the garden center and were able to select all the colors and types you really wanted!

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My orchid's roots are bulging out of the holes in my container. Do I need to re-pot it?

Answer:
Probably. Although orchids like to be somewhat crowded in their container homes, most orchids need to be repotted once every 1 to 2 years. The bark or moss that the orchids are grown in gradually deteriorates. If repotting is not done, the bark or moss becomes decomposed and packed down. When this happens, the roots don't get properly aerated and drainage can become blocked, leading to root rot.

Ideally, orchids should be repotted immediately after flowering. For best results, orchids should be grown either in sphagnum moss or a fine-medium orchid bark mix. You can also combine the two. Orchids do not grow well in soil, because that is not how they grow normally. Most are found in the tree canopy high above the jungle floor. Make sure your new orchid pots have good drainage.

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