Florida Garden Checklist
Texas Garden Checklist

Daffodils
These are the best spring-blooming bulbs for the South. They are long-lived; many types increase their numbers naturally and will thrive with minimal care. Add them to your flowerbeds now. Plant en masse in well-drained beds that receive at least a half-day of direct sunlight. Here are our favorite selections for creating big sweeps of spring color: 'February Gold,' 'Ice Follies,' 'Carlton,' 'Quail,' 'Geranium,' 'Hawera,' 'Jetfire,' 'Salome,' 'Jack Snipe,' 'Minnow,' 'Thalia,' 'Saint Keverne,' and 'Tête-à-tête.' Mail-order sources include John Scheepers, (860) 567-0838 or www.johnscheepers.com; and Brent and Becky's Bulbs,toll-free 1-877-661-2852 or www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. To learn more about bulbs, see "A Little Garden Trickery."

• Seasonal arrangements--Indian corn, winter squash, and gourds are available in multiple colors at grocery stores and roadside stands. Combine with dried flowers--such as celosia, golden fernleaf yarrow, or zinnias--to make easy arrangements for your holiday table.
• Peonies--Plant this long-lived flower (Paeonia lactiflora) now. The most reliable one for the Lower South is white-blooming 'Festiva Maxima.' 'Sarah Bernhardt' (pink) and 'Philippe Rivoire' (red) do well in the Upper and Middle South. Add organic matter to a bed that has well-drained soil and gets at least four hours of sun a day. Set the "eyes" of new plants just below soil level, and water well.
• Perennials--In the Lower and Coastal South, share perennials now. Dig up and divide summer phlox, iris, hostas, and daylilies. When lifted, some will fall apart easily, while others may need to be coaxed. Set the divided plants back into the soil at their original growing depth, water well, and mulch. Give extras to friends.
• Rex begonias--These houseplants will illuminate the rooms in your home. Leaves can be purple, pink, green, and silver. They like bright light and some humidity. Water when the top inch of the soil is dry. Rex begonias are available at nurseries and garden centers. 'Fireworks' is a favorite selection. You can also mail-order them from Logee's Greenhouses, 1-888-330-8038 or www.logees.com.
• Crepe myrtles--You may be surprised by the autumn color on these trees. Plant them now, as the cool weather allows their roots to get established. 'Chickasaw' (3 to 5 feet tall) has bronze-red leaves in fall. 'Hopi' (7 to 10 feet tall) sports orange?red foliage. 'Centennial Spirit' (15 to 20 feet tall) has red?orange leaves.