Fall is the season to bring the outdoors in so it will stay with you through the winter months. When you look to dress your personal spaces with plants, always consider the textures and colors of both the flowers and the leaves.

INDOOR PLANTS
The benefits of having indoor plants extend far beyond aesthetic beauty. Indoor plants filter pollutants from the air, release oxygen and reduce humidity levels. Research has shown that plant leaves alone can actually filter low levels of carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, and plant roots purify numerous toxic chemicals.

Here are some examples of plants that perform well indoors and are most effective in filtering harmful chemicals and purifying your indoor air: Bamboo Palm, Chinese Evergreen, English Ivy, Gerbera Daisies, Janet Craig, Marginata, Mother-in- Law's Tongue, Pot Mum, Peace Lily, and Warneckii.

The outdoor Garden in the Fall

Fall is also a time to do some extensive pruning in your outdoor garden, enjoy the last blossoms before the onset of winter, and "put your garden bed to sleep." The following are some tips you can follow in your garden:

• If you need to do lawn repair, such as reseeding, or starting a new lawn, now is the best time to refurbish your lawn. Seed now to allow grasses enough time to become established before the onset of cold weather.
• Do not fertilize trees, shrubs, perennials, roses or any of your plants at this time. if you apply fertilizers this late in the season, the plants will not have enough time to harden off any tender, new growth before winter.
• Fall is for planting. plant trees and shrubs, and perennials; there are lots of bargains at this time of year.
• With cooler temperatures, roses are in their glory. keep up your spray schedule for diseases and pests.
• Water is critical to the survival of your plants through the winter, especially evergreens. Water until the ground freezes.
• As the foliage yellows and dies on tuberous begonias, dahlias and other summer flowering bulbs, dig them up and let them dry out for a few days before storing them in a cool, dry place for next season.
• Before nighttime temperatures dip below 50 degrees, prepare your house plants to bring them in for the winter. Clean and repot them, inspect for disease and insect pests before moving them indoors.
• repot summer weary pots and beds with cool weather mums, asters, flowering kale, pansies, and other fall-blooming varieties.
• Cut back dying or yellowing perennials to six to eight inches, leaving enough stalk to hold snow for better insulation over winter. the flower heads of ornamental grasses, sedum, coneflowers, and rose hips are wonderful for winter interest and a source of food for the birds.
• Make sure to clean your gardening tools and oil them before you store them for the winter.

FUN FALL PROJECT
Triple Layer Bulb Cake

Here is a great idea for fall planting. Plant bulbs in layers in the same hole to get a double or triple affect in the spring. What you will need are three types of bulbs, one in each timeframe - one early, one mid-season and one late blooming. The timing is stated on each package. Dig a 10"-12" hole and put bone meal on the bottom in a thin layer. Cover with a light dusting of soil and then put your late season bulbs in first. Then cover them, repeat the dusting of bone meal and soil, and then add your mid-season bulbs. Repeat the process with the early-blooming bulbs, then cover with the soil and make sure it is level with the rest of the ground. Remember to make sure the bone meal does not directly touch the bottom of the bulbs.

Here are two combinations that I like.

Ice Follies Daffodil for the late season, Chionodoxa (Glory-of-the-snow) for the mid-season, and Muscari Armeniacum (Grape Hyacinths) as the early spring. Another combination is Double Late Mt. Tacoma for the late spring, Red Riding Hood Tulip as the mid-season, and Blue Pearl Crocus for the early spring selection. There are many combinations that you can try; just remember last to bloom goes in the hole first and then mid-season, and lastly the earliest bloomers. Now you can sit back and watch nature at work come spring.

By Bobby Jensen

Bobby Jensen has more than 30 years experience in the horticulture industry. Over the years Bobby has been involved in every facet of the horticulture and gardening industry from owning and running garden centers to creating landscape designs. Today Bobby is Senior Vice President of Outdoor Environments and also co-hosts with Belinda Jensen the popular KARE 11 television segment, Grow with KARE.