While your family admires the colorful leaves of autumn, do you see only the hard  work of raking, bagging, and burning ahead? If so, you may be making one of the  four biggest mistakes of fall cleanup.

To help you get the most out of fall, the following details four common mistakes  that people make. Avoid these identified pitfalls for the easiest fall and greenest  spring ever.

1. Bagging or burning your fall clean-up debris.
This year, instead of bagging or burning debris, use a walk-behind mower or tractor  equipped with a mulch kit to recycle the dead leaves that cover your lawn into  home-produced mulch.

2. Waiting until spring to fertilize.
Fall is the single best time of the year to feed lawns. During the fall, top growth of  the leaves slows, but the underground growth of roots and rhizomes increases. A  specialized fertilizer will help your lawn green up earlier next spring.

3. Neglecting to prepare equipment for the winter.
Take the energy you've saved by mulching rather than raking, and invest in  preparing your outdoor power equipment before tucking it away for the winter.   Drain the fuel, change the oil, lubricate the chassis, sharpen the blades, and  check the belts. You'll be ready to go when spring arrives.

4. Making lawn-care harder work than need be.
If you haven't checked out the latest in tractors and lawn mowers, you may not  realize how helpful the new machinery can be on your back and work load.

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A radiant poinsettia for Christmas; a stately  lily for Easter; a crisp chrysanthemum for Thanksgiving -- flowers festivity are intertwined. It is a part of our gift giving heritage to share the living and beautiful on our most cherished days. With a  little bit of care, these gifts keep on giving by continuing to flower and re-flower, yielding their beauty long after the holidays have passed.
Flowering plants need strong sunlight and plenty of water to remain in top condition indoors. They are not quite as simple to maintain as foliage plants, but the rewards are worth the extra care. And, you don't have to discard your plants when the blossoms fade. Most of them can be cut back, planted outdoors the following summer, then brought
inside in the fall to bloom again.
The other side of the  coin is that the giving of gifts you have cultivated or propagated yourself is economical and carries a personal message of thoughtfulness and love.
If you want to give plants for presents, be on the lookout for attractive and imaginative planters and containers: antique lidless crocks, baskets, graceful bowls, glass pots.
To be sure your gift flourishes, add a care card listing it's special requirements. Gifts from the earth--and the       heart good idea for giving.

Everyone loves roses, but is it possible to grow them organically? Well, of course it is. Roses have been around much longer than the dozens of synthetic products marketed for rose care that fill the shelves at garden centers.

It is true, however, that some rose varieties are more susceptible than others to the various pests that afflict roses, so ask questions and choose carefully to find out which varieties are winners in your yard.

Even without ideal growing conditions, however, you can grow ravishing roses in your own garden and landscape by following basic rose care techniques.  

PLANTING
Begin by planting roses in the spring, spaced about 24 inches apart. Soak the roots in water before planting, and while they are taking a good, long drink, prepare well-drained planting holes that are 12 to 18 inches deep, and wide enough to accommodate the plant's root system.

Trim off broken roots before putting plants into the ground. Build a mound of soil in the center of the hole that so that the plant is held aloft with the bud union ultimately resting at ground level. The bud union is a swelling near the base of the stem where roses are grafted onto disease-resistant rootstock.

Fill the hole two thirds full of soil, tamp it down, and water. Be sure to eliminate any air pockets so the roots are in firm contact with soil. Finish filling with soil and then water again. Form a basin around the base of the plant to facilitate future watering.  

FERTILIZING
Use a high phosphorus fertilizer at planting time to give roots a boost. Add nitrogen later on, when top growth takes off, and apply an all-purpose fertilizer after each flush of blooming.  

WATERING
Although roses will survive with little water, they perform best when their roots are kept moist throughout the growing season. Keep them watered during dry spells, especially when plants are just becoming established. An inch of water every week is a reasonable amount. Drip irrigation is an efficient way to water roses, although in low rainfall times an occasional overhead sprinkling is beneficial to keep roses cleaned of dust.  

FUNGI LOVE ROSES, TOO
Keep an eye open for fungus, which includes powdery mildew, rust, and black spot, the three major diseases of roses. Powdered sulfur is one effective organic control that is useful as a prophylactic. Apply it as a dust by puffing it into the air upwind of the plant and letting it drift back through the branches. That way you will get good coverage without burning the plant. Avoid inhaling the dust. Always read the label before using any pesticide, no matter whether it is organic or synthetic.

A very effective, low-toxicity fungicide has been tested extensively at several universities for control of black spot on roses. To one gallon of water add three tablespoons baking soda, two and a half tablespoons horticultural oil (also called ultra fine oil or summer spray oil), and one half teaspoon liquid soap. Store it in a closed
jar and spray every ten to fourteen days as soon as symptoms appear, or as a preventative. Reapply after rain. Some plants may be damaged by sunlight with this spray, so test it on a small section of the plant before using it broadly.  

BUGS
Learn how to identify the bugs on your roses before taking steps to kill them. First, try hand picking or knocking them off with a blast of water. Aphids can be controlled with insecticide soap. Beetles can be controlled by hand picking or by knocking them off with a blast of water. Applying beneficial nematodes to the soil likewise controls
beetles. "Organic" insecticides include neem, pyrethrum, sabadilla, Bt, and rotenone, but these should be used only as a last resort, since they affect beneficial insects as well as the undesirable ones.

To encourage beneficial insects that will help keep harmful insects under control, avoid spraying insecticides and plant flowering herbs nearby.  

WEEDING & SANITATION
Hand pull weeds around rose plants and add mulch to keep them under control. Avoid using herbicides near roses, because most varieties are sensitive to them and suffer damage from even minuscule amounts that drift in on the wind.

Keep all plant refuse cleaned up from around the base of plants. It makes an attractive haven for numerous pests.  

WINTER PROTECTION
Unless you live where the winters are mild, your roses may need special care to make it through winter. Start by withholding nitrogen fertilizer, beginning six weeks before the first frost is expected. At the same time, stop deadheading and let the blossoms form hips. Just before frost is expected, give your roses a deep soaking. These tactics help plants mature and withstand cold temperatures better than they would otherwise.

Cut canes back to about three feet tall and bind them together to prevent them from whipping about in the wind. Consult a rose book or get in touch with your local Rose Society to find out about the various methods of covering roses to provide extra protection, which include mounding with soil and covering with styrofoam cones. 

PRUNING
The purpose of pruning roses is to promote their good health and stimulate blooming. It is OK to leave plants alone if you want them to get large, but at least trim out the bad wood -- branches that are dead or unhealthy. Also thin out the center to improve air circulation and expose the plant to sunlight -- the two best defenses against fungus
problems. Late winter or early spring, near the end of dormancy and before roses leaf out, is the best time to prune roses. To control the size of most varieties, prune plants back by about one third after removing the weak, crossing or diseased canes. Hybrid teas can be cut back to within eight inches of the ground.

Climbing roses bloom on second year and older wood. For this type, thin out ten per cent of the canes every year, including the removal of dead, injured, or diseased wood.

Use sharp, clean pruning shears. Most experts recommend making cuts at a 45 degree angle just above an outward facing bud, although some trials show that cutting back all shoots to the same height with a hedge trimmer may be just as successful and beneficial as selective and more tedious pruning.

The main idea, however, is to keep roses open to air and sunlight.

Giving them a Head Start
Gardeners in our northern climates use a variety of means to cope with the brevity of our growing season. When the last frost might arrive as late as May or early June, seed planting must be delayed also. With some quick-growing plants, this isn't too much of a problem. But many vegetables and ornamentals will benefit greatly from a little head start.

Starting seeds indoors can be an imperative for certain plants in particular climates.  Where we reside and where the last frost usually arrives in mid May, getting an early start can make a big difference. Moonflower vine, Ipomoea alba, a tender perennial will not germinate until the average temperature is close to 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). This usually occurs in mid-to-late June. However, if  started indoors it can be transplanted outside several weeks earlier. This provides us almost another month of nightly blooms.

The Big Three
Seeds started indoors require the same basic conditions as those started outside. But since their environment must be artificially maintained, it takes a little more attentiveness. Just as for all plants, the three basic requirements are soil, light and water. But in each case there are special considerations.

Avoiding the Fungi
It is essential that the soil you use be sterile. One of the great banes of seed growing is a fungus commonly known as Damping-off Disease. The spores of this fungi are ever present in soil and the conditions of indoor gardening seem particularly advantageous to its propagation. It can wipe out hours of hard work in a matter of days, killing off your nascent cornucopia before it's had a chance.

To avoid this scourge you must use a sterile soil or, even better, another sterile medium. Some gardeners like to use their own soil. This involves sifting out any larger clumps and stones and then sterilizing it in an oven. This is a lot of work and the results are probably no better than using a commercially available starting medium. These usually consist of some combination of vermiculite and peat moss and are often referred to as "soil-less." When buying a seed-starting medium, make sure it has been sterilized! This should be clearly indicated on the packaging. After it has been thoroughly moistened, the medium can be placed  in flats, peat pots, dixie cups, egg cartons, etc. The size of the container will depend on what type of plant you're growing, and often experience is the best gauge.  

Keeping Them Stout
When seedlings receive insufficient light they become tall and spindly or "leggy." Seedlings need a lot of light. Even if you have a window that receives full sun, you might need to supplement it with artificial light. If you are using only artificial light, you'll need a great deal of it. Because our visual system is so sophisticated, people rarely realize the incredible quantitative difference between natural and artificial light. It would be all but impossible to recreate the intensity of direct sunlight. To compensate, you'll need much longer growing days. Use bulbs that are specifically made for growing plants and place them just a foot or so above your seedlings. You'll want to keep these lights on at least 14 hours a day. Fluorescent tubes are ideal because they won't produce as much heat which can quickly dry out your seedlings.  

Keeping a Watch on Moisture
The third ingredient is moisture, and this is the one that will require the most attention. You want to keep the medium moist, but not let it become wet or soggy. In general, it is best to water from below, allowing the medium to soak up the water like a sponge. To promote germination, many gardeners cover the flats or pots with plastic wrap. This keeps the planting medium both warm and moist, but must be removed as soon as the plants sprout. Otherwise, you risk suffocating your young seedlings.

At this point you will need to keep an eye on things to maintain the proper moisture. If you have a totally artificial setup you will probably be able to predict how often you'll need to water. If you're using a sunny window sill, you'll need to watch more closely. Placing the containers on a raised bed of gravel spread across the bottom of a large pan with a small amount of water can help to prevent your seedlings from drying out. Make sure the water level is below that of the gravel so that the plant containers rest on the gravel and not on the water.  

When They're Ready
It is important not to start seeds indoors too early. If they outgrow your flats or small pots you might try thinning them and transplanting the largest to bigger pots, but for the most part you want to plant them outside just as they become large enough to survive transplanting. This is generally four to six weeks after sowing, when they have at least two sets of true leaves. In other words, if you're aiming to plant the middle week of May, you probably shouldn't be starting seeds any earlier then end of March.
Toward the end of this period, you may want to provide your seedlings a little food in the form of a weak, water-soluble fertilizer. Again, experience, both yours and others', is the only sure guide to what will work for you. Always be willing to experiment. And good luck on your harvest!