September Garden Calendar

-- Don't have a compost heap? Start one! It can be as simple as a length of chicken wire, wrapped into an oval or square and held loosely in place with a few long wooden stakes. You can get away with just one, but with most gardens, three works better--each in a different stage of decomposition. In large gardens, you might have as many as a half dozen.

-- Keep an eye out for frost. In the northernmost Midwest, the first frost can come as soon as the last week of September. However, for the rest of the Midwest, it tends to be mid-to late October. Cover annuals and other tender plants for the first few frosts to get as much enjoyment of your plants as possible!