The Fuchsia 'Autumnale,' from Proven Winners, is a early-blooming fuschia with exceptional uniformity and compact growth that is remarkably heat-tolerant.. The red sepal/purple corolla flowers perch on a splendid trailing fuschsia distinquished by pure gold leaves flushed with purple and orange.

Although the flowers are lovely, the foliage alone makes this one a winner.

Nemesia Sunsatia

Breeding is what makes this German breakthrough like nothing else on the market. The colors range from glowing bright hues to the softest pastels. Sunsatia™ holds its own in both cool and hot temperatures, and is outstanding in hanging baskets, combos, and window boxes.

We are pleased to announce that we have two brand new (2006!) varieties from Proven Winners here at Blue Hills - 'Sunsatia Mango' and 'Sunsatia Raspberry.' Take a look below - we are sure you'll love them as much as we do!

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1. Plant groundcovers.
2. Plant a basket of narcissus for holiday bloom.
3. Finish filling flower beds with cool-season flowers for winter and spring bloom.
4. Plant nasturtiums and continue to plant wildflowers from seeds.
5. Plant flowering kale.
6. Continue to plant winter vegetables, including garlic.
7. Prune pine trees and other conifers now through February.
8. Divide and plant agapanthus.
9. Divide matilija poppy.
10. Open up spaces in dense trees to allow wind to pass through.
11. Prune acacias.
12. Prune cane berries other than low-chill raspberries.
13. Cut back chrysanthemums after bloom; clean up the ground.
14. Fertilize cool-season bedding flowers.
15. Continue to fertilize cineraria for growth.
16. Once rains arrive, stop watering succulents growing in the ground.
17. Water bulbs, especially potted ones.
18. Water roses until midmonth - but only when rains aren't adequate.
19. Don't let citrus go dry in cold or frosty weather.
20. Bait flower beds for cutworms, slugs and snails.
21. Spray peach and nectarine trees against peach leaf curl after leaves fall.
22. Stake young trees loosely so they can develop strong trunks.
23. Pre-chill tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses.
24. Wrap the trunks of young citrus and avocado trees with an insulating material to protect them from cold.
25. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more.

One of the most frequently asked garden questions is, "How often do I water?" We would love to give you a schedule to go by, but in actual fact, it's a very difficult question to answer.

The only real correct answer is "water as needed"--and even that is difficult to define.

How much water a plant needs depends on the weather, of course, and also the conditions in which it is growing. Is your soil clay or sandy; is the area hot and sunny with maybe some wind, or shady and cool? Many things enter into a plant's watering needs.

Watering should be done thoroughly but infrequently. Watering too lightly will prevent the roots from growing deeply enough, and too much heavy watering can drown them!

A plant's roots need air as well as water and nutrients. It's important to wet the entire root zone. This would mean anywhere from a few inches for small plants to several feet for large trees. Most lawn grass roots will be in the top 6"-8", shrubs about 18", and trees 30" or more. You can dig down after watering to check. The water should penetrate to the depth that the roots should be. The goal is to water often enough for the roots to be moist--not water logged. Remember they need air as well.

Sprinkling is the most like natural rainfall. You can use an inexpensive hose attachment or have a system installed.

To soak trees and shrubs it may help to form a berm at the drip line. Fill and let the water soak in, or lay a hose about one foot from the trunk and let it just barely trickle for several hours.

If a plant starts yellowing and losing leaves within the first month (especially the first week), it is usually because water is not penetrating the root ball. Check new plantings daily until they become established.

When a plant is under stress, it's usually way too wet or way too dry. One extreme or the other, the symptoms can be the same. That's where digging a little hole and checking the root zone is a simple way to find out. Just dig in and look!

Garden Terms:

Run-off: The soil is unable to absorb water as fast as it is applied --much like a "downpour" compared to a gentle rain.

Percolation: A term for how water moves or "percolates" down through the soil.

 This Week's Question:  Advertisements for coffee in London in 1657 claimed that the beverage was a cure for what?

This Week's Prize:  a 5 gallon rose bush of the winner's choice (now on sale at $14.99)

All we are doing when we make compost is putting back into the earth what we've taken out of it. It's easy! It can be as simple as mowing the lawn and leaving the clippings on--the green stuff is nitrogen! (Just be sure the clippings are small--if you've let the lawn get long and don't have a mulching mower, go back over the mowed area once or twice for the same effect.)

To understand the principles of composting, it will be helpful to understand soil matter. If you're out in the woods, for example, what you see on the top is leaves and decaying plant parts. Dig a little deeper and the material is less easy to identify, since visible and microscopic organisms have been busy digesting the organic matter. The end product is humus--food for the micro-organisms which release the nutrients for your plants. Once the easily eaten parts are gone, humus can last in the soil for centuries. It is this form of humus that improves the soil's structure and its ability to hold water and nutrients.

In making compost, the idea is to keep a balance of carbon (the "brown stuff" such as old leaves and stems) and nitrogen (the "green stuff" such as lawn clippings). You can also add raw kitchen scraps such as fruits and vegetables. No animal waste, meats, or cooked foods--or you may have larger guests than planned! Beetles and worms are a good sign--large scavengers are not.

Soil micro-organisms and plants need water, warmth, oxygen, moderate pH and the balanced supply of nutrients from the organic matter.

When you build compost in a pile, think of lasagna. Add materials a few inches deep, then about a 6" layer of soil after each addition. Let it sit and you're making what's called "cold compost." On its own, it will take about a year--but you can have several piles going at once. Different textures allow more air circulation. Turning the pile will speed things up--which brings us to the other method, called "hot composting."

Hot composting is faster. The more a pile is turned, the faster you have your finished product. Turning, adding water, and balancing carbon and nitrogen encourages organisms to reproduce rapidly, causing the pile to heat up. The temperature in the center of the pile can reach 160° and can kill off weed seeds, disease organisms and roots.

Compost tumblers are popular because they work so quickly and are easy to turn. You can also make bins from large garbage cans and other containers. Make sure the bin is elevated for drainage, and punch holes in the side and bottom for air circulation. A larger bin (around 3' tall, wide, and deep) is better for getting best mass for proper composition--but the smaller bins will work.

Watching for problems

• Ants? That means the pile is probably too dry.
• Odor? It's too wet. Add more carbon (brown stuff) and turn to let in more air
• Seedlings sprouting? It's not hot enough. Avoid adding anything containing seed or make sure seeds are in the center of the pile.

No time and still want to do your part? If you have leftover salads, etc.--just dig a small hole and bury them. Or just fling an apple core or banana peel into the bushes!

Another method is to "compost as you go." When removing old plants, dead annuals, and such, just put them in little piles in an area where you will be working later. By the time you get to it, it's often starting to break down. You can work in what's left later or shake it off and discard or add larger pieces to your main pile. Anything we put back is enriching our soil.

For fun make compost tea. Put a shovelful of compost in a burlap bag. Tie it closed. Submerge in a bucket, garbage can, or other container with water. Put a cover on and let it steep a few days. Then pour around plants. Dilute to the color of weak tea and use as a foliar feed. Use the solids as mulch or put them back in the compost pile.

Sounds like too much? If you do not want all the work of composting yourself, but still want to help the soil naturally, try Dr. Earth products, with microbes already added. You can also mix them with your compost to help get it started. Whatever method you use will help your soil.