I made this little “plant pal” from a ping-pong ball and golf tee. She doesn’t look happy about summer being over but so far, we’ve had no frosts in our area. That could change by the time this hits print as we often get some chilly weather by mid-October.

To save those expensive clay pots, either bring them indoors or tip them on their sides. Otherwise, they will fill up with snow water, freeze and crack.

I’m pruning my raspberry canes this week. Cut the browned canes to the ground and the green ones to about 4 feet. The green ones will bear next year.

If you want to save your tuberous begonia bulbs, dig them as soon as the tops are killed by frost. Wash off the dirt, snap off the tops, dry and bag the tubers up for winter. There are several ways to do this. My favorite is to put a layer of shredded wood, (used for hamster bedding) into a paper bag, add one bulb and cover with more shreds. Write the color on the bag, fold over the top and store in an area that does not freeze. About 40 degrees is ideal. Check a time or two over winter.

For the dahlias, you will need to wait a week to 10 days after the tops have turned black. Then dig, clean off as much dirt as you can and store in the same way as your begonias. Don’t use plastic bags as the bulbs will usually rot from being too wet. If they appear to be shriveling during winter, give them a small water spray.

As for mulching roses, wait until the ground has frozen. Then add a deep layer of pine needles around each of them. The goal is to protect the graft. Don’t do any pruning until next spring when they start to leaf out.

With all the cool rainy days, it hasn’t been easy to get all the fall chores done, but there is one more that you’ll want to finish. That is to plant any remaining spring bulbs. Nothing says “spring” like blooming daffodils and tulips.

Virginia Creeper vines are sporting both gorgeous fall foliage and lots of purple berries. The Red-Shafted Flickers are gorging on them right now. These birds are part of the woodpecker family and are often seen on the ground, eating ants. They’re very welcome to do that in my yard.

Before turning off your sprinkler system, be sure to give those rhododendrons a good drink as they suffer terribly if they get dry during the winter.

Dig potatoes after the tops have yellowed or died. Cure for a week, avoiding light as it will turn the potatoes green and they will taste bitter. Store near 40 degrees. Onions need to come out after a quarter to half the tops have bent over and the necks have shriveled. Cure in shallow boxes or hang in an unheated room for 3 to 4 weeks. 30 to 40 degrees is ideal for storing them.

This seems to be a good time to hang up my keyboard for the season. So I will leave you with this comment I recently saw. It’s from the Halloween witch. She was proudly mounted on her broomstick and was saying: “Yes, I do drive a stick.” Get it?

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Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently serving as secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column appears in The Press every other Sunday from early March until the season ends.