Gladioli are showy in the garden or in a vase

The gladiolus produces a large, showy flower spike that lasts for several days whether in the garden or in a vase. To get the most out of a bloom for decoration inside, cut when the lowest blossoms have begun to show color.

Continue to groom your perennials and annuals by removing yellowing foliage and spent flowers. Make note of perennials that have flopped and need staking so that a support system can be installed next spring before the plants actually need it. Gentle pruning back of more vigorous perennials can help keep your border from looking overgrown. Cutting leaves off at the base can reduce the size of the plants without having them look pruned.

It is time to take cuttings of annuals such as geraniums and begonias that are to be kept over the winter. Cool nights in September will harden off the parent plants, which will make it more difficult to root the small cuttings. Take a tip cutting 2- to 3-inches long and stick in a well-drained potting medium such as one part peat moss and one part perlite. Keep the cuttings in humidity and bright light. Cover the cuttings with a plastic bag and ventilate daily by opening and resealing the bag. Once they are well rooted, typically in two to four weeks, transplant to a 2- to 4-inch pot filled with a growing medium. The size of the new pot depends on the vigor of the rooted cuttings.

Populations of yellow jackets (a yellow-bodied social wasp) are building. They are unwelcome visitors to picnics and are particularly attracted to sweet liquids like soda. Practicing good sanitation is the best way to minimize any pest problems. They also tend to make their nests in the ground or in stone walls so watch these areas when you are working in the garden. They are a beneficial insect so only control them if they pose a safety hazard.

It is time to fertilize your hybrid roses for the third time. Be sure to continue your application of a fungicide every 7 to 10 days to prevent black spot. To avoid damage to the foliage do not spray on excessively hot and humid days. Remove spent flowers regularly to increase flowering. Cut back to a point where there are five leaflets when cutting flowers to bring inside or when deadheading spent blossoms.

TreesMake sure the root balls of evergreen trees planted within the last year or two are thoroughly moistened when watering. Densely branched evergreen trees can shed water from rain or a sprinkler away from the root ball so that it remains dry while the soil in the bed is moist. Apply water to the base of these trees.If the new growth at the tips of your pine's branches has turned brown, a disease called Diplodia tip blight may be the problem. It is too late to spray fungicides now as infection occurs in the spring. Prune out dead tips in dry weather to reduce the spread of infection.Magnolia scale (an insect) is present now. Look closely for these insects, which are about the size of a pencil eraser, on the branches of your magnolia tree - they are typically on the underside. Other signs of magnolia scale that are easy to spot include an overall thin condition of the tree and a black, sooty mold that will be on the leaves of the magnolia and any plants under the tree. The magnolia scale exudes a substance called honeydew when feeding on the plant. Black sooty mold is a fungus that will then grow on this substance and is only a cosmetic problem. For small trees or infestations, simply pick off the scale and squash them. Other control measures include treating with summer-weight oil or an insecticide when the scale is in the crawler stage (small, immature and vulnerable) - generally in early September. For trees with a history of magnolia scale, an early spring dormant oil application is a wise preventative. If your tree is affected, provide extra watering during the summer to minimize stress. Some crabapples are very susceptible to apple scab and those not treated in spring with an approved fungicide have lost many of their leaves. Their remaining leaves are affected with black and yellow spots. Spraying at this point will not help combat this disease but you can give the trees extra care by watering and fertilizing this fall or next spring. Rake up and remove all infected leaves but do not add them to your compost pile. Also consider replacing disease-prone trees with a cultivar that is resistant.It is important to identify the insects on your plants before treating with an insecticide to determine whether or not the insect really is a problem. If it is, then try to assess whether the damage being done warrants control. The presence of insects feeding on the plants should not warrant automatic treatment. Some insects are beneficial and help control other insects naturally. If an identified pest is causing significant damage, it is important to use a correct control with proper timing. If a variety of treatments is available, use the least toxic control possible.LawnMid-August to mid-September is a good time to seed bare spots in your lawn. Choose a seed mix that is appropriate for the amount of sun at your site. Grass grown from a mix blended for shade can look different from grass from a mix blended for sun. If your yard has adjoining areas of full sun, shade and partial shade, use a single mix of grass varieties for both sun and shade to give the lawn a uniform appearance. Prepare the site for seeding by removing weeds and loosening the soil. Low areas will need additional topsoil. Rake out large clods, stones or debris to create a smooth seedbed. Then gently rake in the seed. Keep the soil moist. On warm days this may require watering two or three times a day. A light layer of compost spread over the soil helps keep seeds moist. Bluegrass takes about two weeks to germinate. It is important to keep the grass seed moist for successful germination. Watering can be scaled back to less frequent but deeper soakings as the new grass fills in.When establishing a lawn by seed you can expect weeds to come in before the grass can get fully established. You should mow a newly seeded lawn four times before treating with an herbicide for weeds. Pulling the weeds is also an option and can be done before mowing is necessary.Holes in the lawn dug by raccoons and skunks may indicate the presence of grubs, which feed on grass roots. Check for areas of the lawn that are browning or where the grass lifts like a piece of sod. It is too late in the season to apply any chemical controls so replace the sections of sod and add grass seed to fix the areas.BulbsIt is time to plan for and order spring-flowering bulbs for your garden. The soil in a bulb garden should be well drained. Any area in the garden that remains wet for long periods - or has standing water for any length of time - is unsuitable for bulbs. They prefer moisture in spring and fall and drought in the summer. Most prefer full sun. When planted beneath a high-branching tree, bulbs will often flower before the tree leafs out and will have only light shade to contend with as they store energy for blooming the following year. Daffodils, ornamental onions, Siberian squill, snowdrops and winter aconite are recommended for areas where wildlife browses.bull;Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden.False20001329Norway spruce False