ask the expert

What perennials other than mums will tolerate full sun and bloom in the fall?

BURT BECK

HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Many folks think gardening pretty much stops in August, so we're glad you're looking forward to autumn. It's a great season for enjoying fall-blooming perennials. Our favorites include aster, ginger lily, goldenrod (no, it doesn't cause hay fever), Japanese anemone, Confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis), ornamental grasses, 'Autumn Joy' sedum, and hardy salvias. All like sun and are easy to grow. You can still plant them now.

My butterfly bush is 6 feet tall and leaning over toward my neighbors' yard. They want me to prune it. When and how should I do this? BARBARA HODGEKISS

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

Butterfly bush eventually becomes a gnarled, woody shrub. Unless you prune it, it gradually loses vigor and produces fewer blooms. Cut it to within a foot of the ground this winter. It will respond by sending out lots of new growth and plenty of flowers next year. You might also prune off spent blooms right now to get more flowers this fall.

Can you tell me what the proper care is for a rose of Sharon? SARAH COX

SODDY-DAISY, TENNESSEE

Also called shrub althaea, rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a large shrub or small tree prized for blue, purple, pink, rose, or white summer flowers. Give it full sun and well-drained soil. It blooms on new growth, so prune it in late fall, winter, or early spring. To avoid prolific seeding, choose a sterile, triploid selection (armed with an extra set of chromosomes) such as 'Diana,' 'Helene,' or 'Minerva.' Warning: Japanese beetles love the flowers. There is no spray you can use that won't also kill bees. So if beetles are bad where you live, plant something else.

After my 'Stargazer' lilies stop blooming, the leaves and stems look unattractive. How soon can I cut them down without affecting the bloom next year? FAYE VANN

CENTRE, ALABAMA

Wait until the stems and leaves turn yellow in fall. Cutting them before then lessens the amount of food the bulbs can make and store and may reduce blooming next year. However, you can cut off the developing seedpods at any time.

Why won't mint I purchase from the supermarket root? Are the stems treated or something? SHEILA BELL

MIAMI, FLORIDA

We assume you are referring to "fresh mint" consisting of cut stems. These are probably too dry to root. But cuttings taken from containerized plants root quickly in water or moist potting soil.

TIP OF THE MONTH

When you want fresh flowers to last a few extra days, put them in your refrigerator overnight. Each morning, reut the bottoms of the stems, and change the water.

MARION BALLMANN

KENSINGTON, MARYLAND

ACCORDING TO STEVE

One of the gaudiest plants to come down the pike is 'Margarita' sweet potato vine. Its brilliant chartreuse foliage gets your attention faster than a smack upside the head. Its trailing habit makes it perfect for containers and window boxes, or use it as a seasonal ground cover. But there's a problem: By midsummer, some mysterious agent peppers the leaves with holes. At first, I suspected Dick Cheney had been hunting again-accidents will happen. Then I discovered the true culprit is a tiny pest called the golden tortoise beetle. To control it, you can spray with an insecticide such as acephate (Ortho Systemic Insect Killer). Or you can employ assassin bugs, the beetles' natural enemies. I, however, suggest you sic Dick Cheney on the beetles. Sure, your plants may end up shredded like they were before. But heck, how often do you get to go hunting with the Vice President? -STEVE BENDER

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