Putting the Summer Garden to Bed

As fall arrives it's time to get busy putting
the flower garden to bed. Walter visits Biltmore Estates and helps
Parker Andes dig elephant ear corms while the work of pulling up faded
annuals and preparing beds for fall goes on all around them.

Composting

Gardeners know the importance and simplicity
of composting... but how do you know when the composting process is
finished? Dr. Wayne McLaurin shows Walter how to examine compost to
make sure everything has been digested. He describes a home-made screen
he uses to sift out the finished compost from larger particles that
need to stay longer in his pile.

Preparing Dahlias for Winter

Dahlias are one of the most exuberant
flowering plants in the Southern garden. The tubers, however, will not
usually survive winter outdoors. Walter Shows how to dig the roots with
a garden fork and how to dust any wounds with sulfur. He packs the
dahlia roots in a plastic tub filled with perlite and keeps them in a
cool spot until planting time next spring.