Well, summer is over and winter is just around the corner. With the time change, shorter days, longer nights and a quick glance at the calendar confirm that the holidays will soon be upon us.

Here in East Berlin, I have been busy getting my landscape in shape for winter. With the abundance of rain, there has been an especially good crop of fall vegetables. The last of the cabbage heads are cut; consequently, we are having slaw and cooked cabbage in abundance. My goal for the coming year will be less purple cabbage and more green, as green seem seems to be easier to give away than the red (or purple) variety!

My hanging ferns loved the cool, wet summer. Three of the four ferns went to homes of friends who have sunny locations in their houses and are adventurous indoor gardeners. The fourth fern is in my dining room at a sunny window with an eastern exposure. It seems twice as big indoors as it did on the front porch. A few family members have commented that we may no longer all fit around the dining room table if the fern continues to flourish in its new, indoor location.

Generally, when I bring ferns inside, they protest the move and don't last through the winter. It will be interesting to see if this fern is still a part of the dining room décor when the holidays arrive.

My mother had a real knack for growing ferns indoors, and I keep working to improve my indoor gardening green thumb. The fern sits on her newly refinished plant stand, which is a good start! I am determined to water on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as she did. With just the right plant stand and my faithful dedication to a proper watering schedule, I feel like I may be more successful this time around.

I brought my Christmas cactus in from the deck outside, and as usual, it was at its peak for Halloween. All of my efforts to delay the blooms are met each year with beautiful pink blooms by the end of October. The amaryllis seem to be on schedule so far, but this is my first attempt to move those bulbs that bloomed last Christmas out to the garden and then back inside for another holiday bloom the following year. I don't know how long the hibiscus will bloom inside, but I just couldn't get rid of them quite yet. As you might imagine, I am running out of sunny windows!

And to the real point of this article - just because the outdoor growing season has come to an end, don't think that you can just forget about outdoor work for a few months until things begin to "green up" again in the spring!! An important part of getting things in order at the end of the growing season is caring for the tools that served you well throughout the summer months.

What follows is a little tutorial on what you should do to care for your garden tools. I would like to say that I am diligent enough to carry through on this direction myself each year. However, it is recommended and it makes perfect sense. Give it a try before winter sets in.

You won't need many supplies to get your hand tools into shape. You can start by scrubbing them with warm water and soap to remove the grime that accumulated over months of use. Rust will shorten the life of any tool, so rust removal is imperative. A putty knife works well for smaller spots, while larger spots might need steel wool and elbow grease. Rust that is allowed to accumulate eventually pits the metal. Pits can be removed by sanding the metal. Once clean, the metal can be further protected with a layer of paint.

Those tools with wooden handles need extra protection to prevent them from drying out and cracking. First apply mineral oil and let it soak in, then brush polyurethane on the handles. Or, if you prefer, just wipe on tung oil instead. If you use the tung oil, be sure to dispose of the rags carefully, as they will be combustible when dry.

Tools like pruners should be taken apart and cleaned well, then lubricated and sharpened. If you have access to a mill bastard file, that is the recommended tool for sharpening your blades by hand. It is important to file in one direction only, and to keep the blade flat while filing at a consistent angle. After filing is complete, put the tool back together and spray with a lubricant.

Finally, store all gardening tools in a clean dry place that won't attract moisture and cause rust. And while you're at it, consider giving your lawn mower a thorough cleaning and a tune-up if you can, before you "put it to bed" for the winter.

And once these few less than glamorous chores are complete, treat yourself by purchasing a few Narcissus (or paper white) bulbs at your local garden center or home building supply store. Place them on top of (not in) a colorful pot or clear glass bowl filled with a solid, showy medium such as clear marbles, clean gravel, or small colored stones. Cover the stones with water and watch the blooms unfold. If you want your paper whites to bloom for the holidays, you should start the bulbs now. Sit back and enjoy the magic of gardening indoors for the next few months.

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