Late fall is great time to trim smoke bush

Smoke Bushes are very popular with the most popular being the Royal Purple Smoke Bush.   They add a great purple color to any landscape.  The Smoke Bush I planted by my garage annoys my husband to no end.  I told him when I planted it that it would only grow to be about 5 feet.  Well little did I know that every summer it would grow to over 9 feet tall.  So to please him I have to let him get out the loppers once a year for a massive hair cut.  I have found the best time to trim the Smoke Bush is in late fall.  When trimmed in late fall the Smoke Bush will still flower in spring.  Then it grows another 5 feet over the summer and the whole cycle begins again.

Smoke Bush can be cut almost to the ground in late fall.

Tiger Lily Stem Bulbils

Looking to add tiger lilies to your garden?  Well an easy way to is to find a friend who has tiger lilies and is willing to give you some of the stem bulbils.  Bulbils are usually mature in fall.  If you can see roots starting to form at the bottom of the bulbils then they can be harvested.  In Wisconsin you can take them right off the plant and plant them into the ground (about an inch or so).  You can also put them in a paper bag and place them in the refrigerator for about a month.  Then you can start them inside for spring planting.  The plants I have started from bulbils usually take about 3 years before they actually produce a flower.