Although we have not yet had a frost, we have been cleaning up our flower beds. The daylilies and hosta have mostly been cut back.

All of the annuals we want to save have been brought inside, as have the house plants we put out for the summer. (My Telegram column Sunday will discuss how Nancy and I save our annuals.)

We also have cut back grasses that have flopped, irises, all phlox that have gone -- but some are in bloom, still.

The rule of thumb for cutting back is that if the foliage no longer stands up straight or has become chewed up or is brown or a sick yellow, it gets cut down. You don't want to create a home for mice, bugs and other varmints.

If it stands up and turns red, like peonies, we leave it up. And anything that will look good over the snow will stay up, as well.

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