COLD WEATHER JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Weather reports predict a sudden and quite severe change in our weather later on this week.  Reports indicate a cold front arriving on Wednesday or Thursday, bringing rain, possibly some snow in the higher elevations, and temperatures 30 degrees colder than we are experiencing right now. Hopefully the temperature won't plummet enough to freeze--I still have dahlias that haven't even bloomed yet.  The cold weather will also affect the zinnias, and all the patio plants. The garden and florist's mums are hardier and can take the colder temperatures, however.  It seems as though Mother Nature does this to us quite often--we get a day or two of cold temperatures, just enough to kill the tender plants, then warms up for a while.  Time will tell what will happen this year. I am hopeful that the temperatures will stay above freezing and that there will still be a month left of stable temperatures to finish out the fall season.  I will continue to prepare the beds for winter--although I won't be cutting down any plants until November probably--the peonies, hosta, any lilies that are still in the process of "yellowing."  It's still a good time for transplanting those hardy perennials.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy these last blooms of the season!