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I'll confess that I can't think of a single flower that I have met that I don't like. However, I admit I have a slight bias toward perennials, shrubs and those annuals that bring seasonal surprises.

We need annuals like marigolds, zinnias, inpatients, petunias and their friends that bring constant color to the garden, but I confess that as I prowl my gardens it is the changes as the season progresses that catch my eye first.

Two annual vines that are almost chasing me across the garden have my attention right now. One is hyacinth bean. It shows a lot of purple in its green leaves. The flowers are purple and it gets a rather nice ornamental lima bean like seedpod.

I gave it a small wagon-wheel trellis and about ten feet of side space. There are maybe six or eight plants in a 70-foot stretch. It's beautiful but I confess I pruned away a large wagonload last week and it is preparing for a return engagement.

The other one is red cypress vine. It behaves better, has finely cut deep green leaves and small red flowers that the hummingbirds sure love. I planted this one about five years ago and it keeps reseeding. If it wasn't so pretty I would be mad at it.

Two other annuals get a lot of attention at this time of the year. One is pennisetum rubra that red grass with the long pinkish foxtails and salvia leucantha, tall one with light purple pea-like flowers in the near future. Unfortunately, this year the hyacinth vine overran the salvia before I decided to fight back.

To my amazement, the crape myrtles and the Rose of Sharon are still blooming after many weeks. I remember an old two tone purple Rose of Sharon that was one of my grandmother's favorites. Today they come in a wide color selection of single and double flowers.

Another group of perennial like shrubs that are at their peak right now are the various lespedezas. For those of you who are into the Latin, lespedeza refers to pea-like blooms. This one dies back to the ground each year so a haircut close to the ground is necessary each spring.

My favorite is a tall large one called Gibraltar. I have an eight-year-old specimen that would offer possibilities as a hiding place if it weren't so thick with stems. I also have a tall white one that is gorgeous this year. There are some dwarfs and bicolors too.

It is the time of year when berries add to the beauty of the garden. My beautyberries, (callicarpa) are really great this year. There is the common purple berried one but I also have one with beautiful white berries.

The winter berries, red and yellow, are starting to turn color as the cooler season approaches. Soon the changing foliage color will be taking center stage in our landscapes but that's an idea we could talk about later.

If you are one of the zillion people who have been looking unsuccessfully for (hardy?) blooming garden mums I have an explanation. It's the heat.

The temperature affects bud set and development. In the industry we call it heat delay and it is very noticeable this year. I would guess that we are looking at a delay of at least ten days. The good news is that your wait is about over.

From my first sentence, or from previous writings, you may guess that I have little faith in the hardiness of garden mums. Despite that, I will offer a few points to improve your chances. Plant early. A green plant or one in bud is easier to establish than one in full bloom. Water often until established in the landscape. Plant in well-drained soil. Wet soils are deadly. Cut back as the blooms fade to force new growth and root development.

If they survive the first winter: Make double your regular fertilizer applications on garden mums. Reduce as buds show color. Prune each year after four to six inches of re-growth. Prune resulting branches again to three or four leaves. Complete pruning by July 4.

Given the recent string of beautiful days, my rain gauge is beginning to complain that it is being ignored. Yet, the grass in my lawn continues to rise vigorously to do weekly battle with the mower.

Recent probes into the soil during planting expeditions show almost ideal planting conditions. Of course the water hose follows the new plants, but then it always does. I am watching the new plantings a bit more closely and will water every three to five days until the rains return.

I have a bit of grass seed to spread in a repair situation but I am holding off there despite the fact that September is usually the best time to seed new grass. Besides, I have so many projects that it has not moved up my priority list and won't until it rains.

Another project has me laying the cobble walk that wraps the recent patio and steps into the front door, kitchen door and the deck. I am quite pleased with the progress and the result.

Way back in the early 1990ies when we built the house my wife lobbied for the patio and walks. I promised without any disagreement. We did the steps in the fall and early winter of 2003-04. We dug out for the walks and installed six or eight inches of stone dust last January.

Such projects are within the reach of most of you if are willing to take your time. The most important ingredient for success is a well-packed foundation. The stone dust can be tamped or, if you work like me, just leveled several times as Mother Nature does the work.

Back to back recent conversations from homeowners confronting the fact that their new house landscaping was not well thought out occurred this week. Fortunately, or unfortunately, some of the plants crammed into too small a space were quite desirable. Others could be rendered to the trash heap without a whimper.

I encouraged them to attempt to transplant some of their good problems. The key is to get as much root and dirt as you can. Working an old blanket under the transplant makes it easy to transport and will help stabilize the roots and soil.

Once in its new home, regular watering every three to five days, less if it rains, is necessary until the ground freezes or the plant goes totally dormant. If you are dealing with an evergreen spraying with an anti-desiccant is a great idea.

Most anti-desiccants I have seen are bought as a clear molasses-like liquid that mixes with water. When sprayed on the tree it somewhat seals the tree, greatly reducing dehydration or water loss over the winter. This is absolutely necessary if the site is windy and a good idea if it isn't.

Also, a light coat of mulch over new plantings just after the ground first freezes is an excellent idea.

I'm watching for rain but enjoying the bright weather as I tackle my endless list of projects. My goal is more shrubs, more trees, more perennials, another load of cobbles, 75 feet of low wall, more vegetable garden, less mowing and less weeds.

That might take a lifetime. Life is good.

I celebrated the last day of August buying birdseed. It wasn't for me. My feeders will hang empty for a few more weeks or even a month. It was for mom.

Recently she has become a dedicated bird feeder. In fact, she fed all summer. I was amazed at the steady stream of finches, wrens, doves, sparrows and woodpeckers that made regular visits. Early in the season she had a running battle with the blackbirds but for some reason they seemed to disappear about six weeks ago. That made her happy.

Since mom lives close by and is just a year and three weeks from joining the small crowd that sport triple digit ages, I visit at least once a day. I enjoy her birds as much as she does.

My visits are usually for just a few long minutes. What I find most fascinating is that almost every visit is rewarded with a pair of hummingbirds visiting the salvia that I planted just outside her kitchen window. They say that hummingbirds like red but these salvia are about as blue as you will ever see.

She doesn't feed the hummingbirds. They just come for the flower nectar. That, of course, got me thinking about how to take feeding the birds to a higher level. Birds need several things to be happy. Of course food, but water is also important. Right now I'm plotting about which heated birdbath will join my landscape this fall.

Cover is also important. The birds live in constant fear of predators whether it's the neighborhood cat or a fast moving hawk. If you feed, and your feeder isn't close to some hiding places, you will be less successful. A few evergreens would be great but a brush pile would also serve the purpose.

You will increase your watching rewards if you can convince the birds to nest in your yard or close by. Again, dense evergreens are favorites of many birds.

About a dozen years ago I planted about 25 Leyland Cypress in a rather tight staggered double row. They are now well over 20 feet tall and have become a magnet for birds. They are near a spot where I often sit. I've identified a lot of species from my perch as they perched in the trees.

This row of trees is also along a path I often frequent after dark. The activity on my arrival rivals that of a chicken house when a fox arrives. I'm thrilled, but there may be a downside.

Several weeks ago I was approached by a friend who had an old, rather dwarf white pine that seemed to be dying. After a bit of discussion I was rather clueless and dug out some course books I had gotten at Longwood Gardens.

Under white pines there was a note that suggested that excessive bird roosting could lead to the decline of the tree. After reading that, it was revealed that a hole formed by a missing branch had become a heavily traveled bird route into the tree.

I still haven't figured out whether the literature was saying that the birds damaged the tree or whether their manure altered the soil enough to cause the decline. I suspect the latter.

As you know I always have a landscape project. Usually it doesn't stop at one. With each one, birds and other wild critters are usually roaming my thought process.

My garden is producing a bumper crop of golden collared tomatoes. Since the tomatoes I planted were supposed to be red I was a bit puzzled by the small patch of yellow-green circling the stem of each ripe fruit.

My investigation found that this condition has baffled the university researchers for more than 30 years. It is believed to occur when a number of factors converge in the garden.

These factors include environmental, when the temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, nutrition, cultivar and virus. The nutrition part centers on the lack of K or potassium in the presence of high magnesium, which reduces the uptake of calcium in the fruit. If you need to reread that last sentence go ahead.

The best solution is to get a soil test and follow its recommendations. That could suggest adding potassium and letting the ph fall a bit. The condition does not hurt anything except the appearance of the fruit, so for now I'll waste a yellow sliver of tomato as I make my Dagwood sandwiches.

Another challenge in the vegetable garden at this time of the year is the vine crops. To be successful you must keep the vines happy. Your challenges here are both insects and fungus. There is a vine bore as well as mildew to do in our plants. The coming fall temperatures also contribute to vine decline. Anything under 60 degrees usually spells trouble.

I have resigned myself to savor the last cantaloupe from my garden in the next several days. The vines are beginning to go, which suggests that the flavor will be challenged in any future fruits if there are any.

The perfect Halloween pumpkin in your garden may need some management right now, too. My guess is that your prize is starting to show some orange and the vine is in decline.

Left in the garden for more than several weeks risks sun and insect damage, which may force you to celebrate Halloween before everyone else or mandate a trip to the pumpkin store.

Once the pumpkin is showing a trace of color it can be harvested and will ripen very well with daytime temperatures over seventy and nighttime temperatures above sixty. Field temperatures below fifty degrees will contribute to quality and storageability.

Winter squash would fall in there with about the same recommendations. I might add with the squash or pumpkins, handling is a storage concern. Bruising will reduce the chance of successful storage for winter use.

I almost forgot to think of the obvious. Removal of the stem on pumpkins or squash will shorten their lifespan.

We are approaching the time when our vegetable gardens start their slow decline. I wish somebody would tell my first planting of string beans that. On second thought, don't, I like string beans.