Question
QUESTION: I am a new gardener.  I have been experimenting with plants this summer and have had a great time.  I am sorry to see it all end.  Is there anything I can do now that Fall is just around the corner?

ANSWER: Hi Vicky,
Thanx for your question.  Depending upon where you are, you may still have a lot of season left.  Fall is a good time for chrysanthemums and asters and for sedums like Autumn Glory (this type of sedum is also known as Liveforever).  Ornamental grasses start turning colors in the fall.  People start using cool-weather annuals like pansies and ornamental kale.  Others grow gourds and pumpkins for fall displays and the harvesting of these is about to begin.  Fall is also the time to start tidying up the garden and putting things to bed for the winter and that in itself can be a very relaxing enterprise just puttering around the garden trimming and pruning this and that, cleaning up plant debris, etc.  There is a formosa lily (Lily formosanum) that is blooming about now that you might want to consider adding to your garden.  I hope this helps.
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much for your thoughts.  Can you be more specific about what I need to do as far as putting beds away, for instance I have load of small white Irises that stayed green through the summer.  Should I cut they back?  When? Also Peonies, cut back? When?, Grasses?  Cut back.  Or should I leave them all alone.  Thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer
Hi Vicky,
Thanx for the followup.  Generally, with irises, in the fall cut the leaves in a fan shape.  You want to wait until the fall though because most plants use their green leaves to gather energy from the sun which is stored in their roots as sugars and starches for next years growth and bloom.  With grasses, I cut them back when I'm done looking at them.  They make intersting winter items but some people don't like the brown look.  You can cut them back to within a few inches of the ground in the late fall or early spring before they start coming back out.  Peonies, I cut them back in the fall when their leaves start crumpling up and wilting.  Cut them back to within a couple inches of the ground.  Once your garden has finished blooming and starts wilting.  Cut back to within a few inches of the ground and clear off al dead debris and material to prevent diseases.  I hope this helps.
Tom