End Of Summer Gardening Tips

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Whether it makes you scream or swoon every time you hear it this week, Labor Day sort of is the end of the summer season. Schedules shift, weather changes, and most of us just aren't outside as much. So, whether you're closing up a cabin, saying so long to the shore, or just puttering on a patio over Labor Day weekend, here are some easy ways to keep what's growing looking better in the weeks to come.

Deadhead perennials and shrubs that can bloom again - many keep flowering well into the fall including shrub roses, so snipping off spent blooms and any diseased or fried foliage now will keep them looking much fresher.

Lots of annuals also flower until frost, so you might want to cut back potted plants a bit - when you're not around to water so often, a good hair cut reduces the amount of moisture potted plants need. Pull out anything that's browned out or is yellowing, snip off overgrowth, then pinch back all over to neaten up potted plants and reduce their overall size so they can survive with less attention when you're distracted doing other stuff after Labor Day.