What's blooming in October: Floss silk trees, lance pod, Lonchocarpus violaceus, golden shower tree (Cassia fistula) and golden rain tree (Koelreuteria elegans).

If you want to grow roses, this is the time to prepare raised beds. Mix half muck with 10 percent sand and aged cow manure, with 15 percent bark soil conditioner and composted peat moss. Be on the lookout for Earth Kind roses, developed at Texas A&M University. They are resistant to insects and diseases though they bloom less often than hybrid teas. You can find out about them on http://earthkindroses.tamu.edu.

Fertilize the landscape before winter, using 8-2-12 with 4 percent magnesium and small amounts of micronutrients.

Plant the vegetable garden with beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, endive, escarole, lettuce, lima beans, mustard, onions, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes.

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