Get your spring bulbs in the ground this autumn

It is time to plan for and order spring-flowering bulbs for your garden. Ordering early ensures availability of what you want to purchase.

The soil in a bulb garden should be well drained. Any area in the garden that remains wet for long periods of time, or has standing water for any length of time, is unsuitable for bulbs. They prefer moisture in spring and fall and to dry out 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.

What bulbs should you order? Daffodils, ornamental onions, Siberian squill, snowdrops and winter aconite are recommended for areas where there are deer and rabbits.

• 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 plants, which will make them more difficult to root.

Take a tip cutting that is 2 to 3 inches long and stick it 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.

• Do not forget to check the oil and clean out the air filter on your lawn mower on a regular basis. It is easy to overlook this task as you mow throughout the summer.

The engine can be ruined by letting it run out of oil. The dust raised when mowing over dry leaves later in fall can clog up the air filter, which will impair performance of the engine.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.