Home Help: It's not too late for a vegetable garden

Garden Guide: Get your fall veggie garden growing

If you haven't yet joined the "grow your own vegetables" craze, it's not too late to join in.

Cooler autumn temperatures make it a delight to spend time outside in the garden, and you'll spend less time caring for your fall crops because of the favorable cool weather growing conditions.

Plants will grow rapidly at first and gradually slow as the days become shorter and colder. Destructive insects won't be as numerous in autumn as they are in summer months. Weeds germinate less frequently and grow slower than they do during the warmer seasons. Compared to hot and dry summers, fall usually brings an increase in the amount of precipitation, eliminating another time-consuming chore - watering.

What you need to know:

1. Let the sunshine in. Most vegetables need full sun - at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. Mix a 2-inch layer of compost into the soil, or spread a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, according to labeled instructions. Plants will need an inch of moisture per week, either through rain or supplemental watering.

2. Start with transplants. Plants are six weeks or older when you put them into the ground, so you will begin harvesting much sooner than if you start from seed. Garden centers typically supply optimum fall varieties for your geographic region.

3. Don't fear frost. When frost threatens, cover plants with a floating row cover, cold frame or a cloche. Or, you can grow fall veggies in a container and move the pot to a protected location on frosty nights.

Vegetables best suited for fall gardens:

- Winterbor kale: This nutritious leafy green is a vigorous producer that endures winter easily, even in very cold climates. Cut the outer leaves so that the center can continue growing. Space transplants about 12 inches apart.

- Georgia collards: Another leafy green similar to kale, collards offer a larger, stronger, sweet cabbage-like flavor. Leaves taste best when young. Space transplants 36 inches apart.

- Romaine lettuce: Romaine packs more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients than other popular types of lettuce. Rich in fiber, vitamin C and beta-carotene, romaine is an especially good vegetable for heart health. Space transplants 18 inches apart.

- Early dividend broccoli: Popular, productive and easy to grow, this broccoli is high in fiber and calcium. Set transplants 18 inches apart.

- Mustard greens: Offering spicy hot leaves, this is a very fast-growing, nutritious vegetable. Mustard greens always taste sweeter when nipped by frost. Space plants 12 inches apart.

- Bonnie hybrid cabbage: Grows large, round, blue-green heads. Cabbage is especially high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, K and fiber.

- Arugula: These fast-growing leafy greens are great for salads or gourmet recipes. This peppery-tasting green is a super food for your bones. The leaves are nutrient dense and low in calories. They are especially high in vitamins A, C, and K.

-- ARA

Decorating Tip: Make a small space feel bigger

If your living room is crammed with a huge couch, big-screen TV and oversized lounge chairs, try making some changes to make it feel less cramped.

- “Cool” colors like blue or green can create the illusion of higher ceilings and are neutral enough to easily accessorize.

- Use mirrors to emphasize and spread the light from windows in the room. Hang a wall mirror, or use a piece of mirrored glass on a coffee table or mantle.

- Ceiling-to-floor flowing curtains can make ceilings appear higher. A decorative piece hung horizontally just on the top of the window will let in lots of light, and you can add blinds that provide coverage when you need them.