No, gardening isn’t over now; it just changes. Even in a terrible drought year, there is always hope and many satisfying tasks to perform when the temperatures moderate. We notice a stillness in the air, feel an underlying chill and begin noting nightly low temperatures with our tomato crop in mind. Then we also perceive a subtle difference in the quality of the light.

The more moderate temperatures ease the task of garden chores and cleanup. Even though much is still growing, it’s time to do some serious flowerbed work if you’ve neglected it during summer’s heat.

Weed and grass control are essential if you don’t want next year’s work to be overwhelming. Loosen the soil so that fall rains can penetrate rather than run off. Add compost wherever possible or necessary to help enrich and loosen the soil.

One caveat, however: do not fertilize trees, flowers or shrubs now. You don’t want to stimulate growth at a time when nature is preparing for dormancy.

Q. Several years ago I bought two raspberry bushes that have now created a large, overgrown family. How and when do I prune raspberries?

A. If you don’t want to be overwhelmed with some kind of science fiction mutation nightmare, you need to prune your raspberries every year. No, don’t panic. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Don protective armor, wade into your thicket and prune out ALL dead old canes.

As you hack your way through the tangle, remember that raspberries produce fruit on canes that grew the previous year. In addition to pruning, you also need to be ruthless about removing new plants that are springing up everywhere. Few things taste better than a plump, fresh raspberry, so they are worth some unpleasant labor.

Q. A mature pine tree in our yard is turning brown and has a little pile of sawdust at its base. Help, we don’t want to lose the tree.

A. It sounds as if the pine bark beetle has arrived. Check the bark for spots of sap where the beetles bore into the bark. Then call a licensed tree specialist ASAP. I hate to tell you, but you may have to have the tree removed.

Although gardeners are generally an optimistic lot, we also are great grumblers. It’s too hot, it’s too wet, there are too many insects or the wrong kind of insects, etc. etc., etc. Sound familiar? Yet, even with this difficult year and the record-setting heat, we have had some successes along with the failures.

Third year gardener Brian Polk had major success with early lettuce as well as a later potato crop. Kale success in one location but failure in another, plus competition from hungry rabbits. Beet harvest was poor.

A third generation gardener, Ann Graham also enjoyed early lettuce and arugula success. Bean yield was poor because of constant insect battles; carrots and cabbage failed. All herbs thrived.

Veteran herb gardener Kathi Yuran said this was her best herb crop ever since her herbs obviously loved the hot, dry weather ... perhaps because of their Mediterranean origins?

Another longtime gardener, Carlos Martinez, was pleased with his harvest of onions, zucchini, kale and daikon, but had poor tomato, bean and grape results.

Third year gardener Joel Dumke brags about his success with his Italian beans, but, like other greenthumbers was unhappy about his tomatoes’ reluctance to set fruit.

Barb Sawyer had the usual success and failures, but had the additional challenge of deterring mice that were determined to eat her tomatoes. Her strawberries sulked in the heat and wouldn’t bear fruit.

Embrace September’s milder days and nurture your cool weather veggies. After you’ve removed spent foliage of annuals and vegetables, prepare the soil with fresh compost that will work its magic during the winter.

Since gardeners are happiest when planting, indulge yourselves with masses of cheerful pansies and showy mums. Buy bulbs now when the selection is best, but don’t plant until October.

Attend to your trees now. Prune any branches that will create problems when the first heavy, wet snow hits and begin a fall watering schedule.

The morns are meeker than they were–
The nuts are getting brown–
The berry’s cheek is plumper–
The Rose is out of town.

Emily Dickinson

To lovely September.