Move over, mums. Make way for ornamental grasses, their feathery golden blooms highlighted against a dark sky. Or pansies that hold their flamboyant flowers, even under the crush of a frost.

Try some pink-veined ornamental cabbage and kale, which takes on shades of sunset red as the September chill sets in. The plants freeze and thaw, holding onto their ruffled leaves into December.

"They laugh at the cold, only getting better as it gets colder," said Greg Stack, a University of Illinois Extension horticulturist who encourages gardeners to think outside the mum box.

Of course, we love our mums, which signal fall as much as a sticky caramel apple or a cup of icy cider. But if you want something in your yard just a little different from your neighbor's this year, try a cluster of Autumn Joy sedum, which will bloom all month long, against a backdrop of purple fountain grass.

Ornamental grasses give you that fall feel because of their autumnal colors, said Suzanne Hardwick, a horticulturist with Green View Nursery in Normal.

"They're so elegant and graceful. When the winds blow, the grasses have this light, wispy look."

Although we may be weary of gardening by this time of year, emptying our pots after the school buses roll, don't give up yet, she said.

Fill those containers with black-eyed Susans, bright orange zinnias or ornamental cabbage with a feathery grass, coleus or plum coral bells.

If you can't resist a few pots of deep red mums, that's OK too, "but just do something more," she said. "If you do a mixture, you'll always have something blooming, rather than just a bed of mums."

Consider the aster, which is available as an annual or hardy perennial. Its blue, purple, pink or white blossoms will last longer than mums, showing color well into October.

Stack recommends the osteospermum, a daisy-like flower in orange, white and yellow, often with a contrasting center or eye. They can bloom throughout the fall, surviving temperatures into the mid-20s.

After the second-wettest summer in his memory, Dale Naffziger, owner of Growing Grounds in Bloomington, said this is an ideal year to extend the gardening season. Perennials are on sale and September is a good time to plant them.

The earlier you get them in, the better. Also, spend a few minutes preparing the soil rather than just troweling a hole. Mulch when you're done and water until the ground freezes.

For late fall and early spring color, look for hardy pansies with names like "Snow Angel" and "Sub-Zero." While you're stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey they'll still be blooming, and in March they'll show up again.

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Overwinter annuals, tropicals

By Kate Arthur | karthur@pantagraph.com

Geraniums don't have to wilt at the curb and you don't have to watch your pampered dahlias and canna die. Greg Stack and Ron Wolford, horticulture educators from the University of Illinois Extension, provided some suggestions on how to keep them over the winter.

• After frost kills the foliage, dig up and store tender bulbs like dahlias, cannas and gladiolus. Rinse the soil from the roots. If you have a lot of bulbs, place them on a mesh screen over a garbage can and wash the dirt away. Toss any bulbs that show signs of bruising or rot. Dry dahlias, caladiums and cannas for three days in a well-ventilated area at 60 to 70 degrees. Store in peat moss or vermiculite. Allow gladiolus corms to dry for three weeks before storing in paper bags.

• Hang or pot geraniums. Before the first frost, dig up the plants and pot them, cutting them back a third to a half and watering in well. Place the pots in a sunny area and water only when dry. Another method is to hang the plants upside down in a basement or garage that doesn't freeze. Place them in individual paper bags that are barely open at the top. Check them periodically to see if the roots need to be misted. If the stems start to shrivel, soak the roots for an hour in a bucket of water. The leaves will fall off. In the spring, pot the firm, green stems and place it in a sunny location.

• Save the tropics. If you want a back yard next spring that's reminiscent of Key West, bring your tropicals in before the first frost and keep them in greenhouse-like conditions. If your family isn't wild about sweating through the winter, wait for a light frost to turn the leaves slightly brown, cut the stems back to about six inches and dig up the bulbs, tubers and corms. Wash the soil away and air dry them. Since the plants have probably produced several new bulbs, you can separate them and expand your garden next year. When the bulbs are dry, store them in well-ventilated containers. Pack with peat moss, small bark chips or sawdust and keep them in a dark place at 40 to 50 degrees. Check them monthly for signs of rot or shriveling and discard rotted bulbs. Spray shriveled bulbs with a little water. Re-pot six to eight weeks before the last frost.

• Bring your hibiscus inside. Although you can bring it in before the first frost and try and maintain it as an indoor plant, hibiscus demands such high light, the foliage may soon turn yellow and fall off. Flower buds tend to fall off before they open. Instead, bring the container in before the first frost and don't water it; the leaves will fall off as the plant goes dormant. Place it in an area that stays 40 to 45 degrees. Check on the moisture every two weeks, and if the soil is dry two to three inches down, add a small amount of water. In the spring, bring it into a warmer area with plenty of light, water well and prune back lightly. In a few weeks, it'll be revived.

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Fall color seminars

Green View Nursery in Normal is offering free fall garden and landscape seminars. Seating is limited, so call for reservations. Programs begin at 10 a.m. Visit www.greenview.com or call (309) 452-9402.

Sept. 16: Fall container garden combinations, demonstration

Sept. 23: Designing fall color into your landscape

Sept. 30: Fall bloomers: Mum's not the only word anymore

Oct. 14: Bulbs