I love the fall colors of the roses and zinnias in the flower beds. When the nights get longer and the temperatures dip, the colors are brighter, and the blooms get larger. This year was no exception; the hybrid tea roses, with their last buds of the year, and the last blooms of the State Fair zinnias, before the temperatures nip the foliage, have been stellar! This arrangement showcases the lively colors of the last blooms of roses, zinnias, delphinium, geranium and garden mums.
To get ready for winter, if the roses have some tall canes 5 or more feet high, I prune them back to 3-4 feet. This helps to protect cane breakage in the snowy winter months. I also make sure the base has a layer of mulch to protect them in case of extremely cold temperatures during the winter months, which occurs quite often here in zone 6. The zinnias are pulled out; they are an annual. To preserve seed to scatter for next spring, take dried blooms and shake into an envelope. The tiny seeds can be stored in the refrigerator. Delphinium readily reseed, and I let them do this naturally, moving small seedlings next spring to areas I want them. Garden mum stalks are cut to the ground; they will have a new growth at the base that you will see when you cut the stalks down.
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