By Tamara Galbraith

As September takes a bow, let's tip our straw hats to the official flower of the month, the Aster.

The hardy blue aster (Aster novae-angliae) is the common fall-blooming variety. Asters produce large clusters of delicate daisy-like flowers in many other colors, like white, purple, lavender, pink or red. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9, depending on the variety.

Asters should be planted in moist well-drained soil, amend with Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme before planting, and in full sun to light shade. The clumps get big quick, so give them some room. Divide the clumps every 3 - 4 years in the early spring or in late fall after the flowering has finished.

There are also dwarf varieties which aren't quite so pushy, but in the fall -- when it seems like the burnt autumn colors of mums are everywhere -- a big, fat blue aster can bring a welcome flash of pastel to the garden.

Green tomatoes can be ripened indoors provided they have reached a reasonable stage of maturity, but it makes sense to ripen as many as possible on the plant. As soon as a severe frost is forecast, however, harvest the remaining fruit and ripen as many as possible indoors.

Frost will kill tomatoes, but you can often extend their season by a few weeks and ripen a few more fruits on the plant with protection. Bush plants that are already low-growing are best covered with a large cloche. Packing straw beneath the plants first will also provide a little insulation.

Cordon-trained tomatoes must be lowered before they can be protected with cloches. Untie the plant and remove the stake.
Lay a bed of straw on the ground, then carefully lower the plants onto this. If you lay all the stems in the same direction, you will have a neat row of tomatoes that are easily covered with clothes.

Fleece or frost cloth can be used to offer wind protection and enough shelter to keep off a degree or two of frost, though it does not warm the air during the day in the same way as glass or some rigid plastics. Drape several layers over low-growing varieties, and peg it down securely along each side, and at the ends.

Fleece and frost cloth can also be used to protect cordon tomatoes while still staked. Sheets of fleece can be wrapped round, or you may be able to buy fleece produced as a tube. Simply cut off the required length, slip it over the plant, and secure at the top and bottom.

If all else fails, simply pull-up the whole plant by the roots. Hang the plant upside down with tomatoes attached in the garage or other moderate temperature location. The fruits will continue to ripen on the vine and provide great late season tomatoes.