How can I keep birds from eating my grapes? 

The best way to prevent birds from eating the grape crop is to place netting over the grapevines. Netting can be purchased at garden centers or through mail-order companies. When placing netting over the grapevines, make sure the netting is secured to the ground to prevent birds from entering from below. 

Can I plant perennials in late summer? 

Late summer (late August to mid-September) is an excellent time to plant many perennials. It is also a good time to move or divide perennials, such as peony, daylily, garden phlox and oriental poppy.

Perennials planted in late summer should be mulched with 4 to 6 inches of straw, pine needles or other materials in late November. Mulching helps prevent repeated freezing and thawing of the soil that can heave plants out of the ground. Plants heaved out of the soil may be severely damaged or destroyed due to drying of the exposed plant crowns and roots. 

Which are the best tulips for perennializing? 

Most modern tulip varieties will bloom well for only two or three years. However, there are some tulip types (classes) that bloom well over a longer time period. 

Darwin hybrid tulips are generally the longest blooming hybrid tulips. Darwin hybrid tulips are prized for their large, brilliant flowers. Flowers are available in shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and white. Blooms are borne on stems that are up to 30 inches tall.  Darwin hybrid tulips bloom in mid-season. 

Fosteriana tulips also perennialize well. They are noted for their large, elongated flowers. Flowers appear in early spring on 10- to 20-inch-tall stems. Foliage is typically green or gray-green. However, a few varieties have mottled or striped foliage. Fosteriana tulips are also known as Emperor tulips. 

Species or wild tulips are generally the longest lived tulips.  Some actually naturalize. Plants are typically small, making them excellent choices for rock gardens and in the front of beds and borders. Most species or wild tulips bloom in early spring. 

How can I dry hot peppers? 

Drying peppers is a simple procedure. Harvest mature peppers (the fruit of most varieties turn from green to red at maturity), wash to remove any dirt, then allow the fruit to dry for a few minutes on the kitchen counter.Once the preparation steps have been completed, spread the peppers on a wire mesh screen or rack and dry for several weeks. 

An alternate method requires a large needle and heavy thread. Thread the needle, then push the needle through the upper portion of a pepper. Slide the pepper down the thread and repeat, stringing additional peppers.  Hang and dry the peppers in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. The dried peppers may be ground as needed. 

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