Autumn is knocking on the door as summer's late bloomers are showing off in the garden.

Sun-kissed rudbeckia glows against plump sedums, asters and plumed ornamental grasses. Reblooming daylilies are a delight, although the flowers are smaller than first blooms. Joe Pye weed towers above the fence, soccer ball-sized pink, puffy heads drooping from the weight of bees and other insects mining pollen from the depths. Anise hyssop plants stand straight, tall and true, their fragrant purple spires attracting bees, wasps and a couple of Swallowtail butterflies who've staked claims. And after surviving the double onslaught of marauding Japanese beetles and grazing bunnies, the roses appear poised for one last gasp of glorious color.

Mums are finally blooming. The warm palette of bronze, burgundy and yellow is punctuated with cheerful pink, lavender and white. Like asters, mums are photo-periodic or "short-day" plants and flower in response to day length.

When mum shopping, know what you're looking at and how you intend to use the plants. Those big florist-style mums are intended for indoor display and corsages, not gardens. Look for a label that reads "perennial," "hardy" or "garden," designating the plant's suitability for planting in the ground or an outdoor container. Don't be misled -- "hardy" doesn't mean carefree. Mums need protection from winter wind, snow and cold temperatures.

There are several different flower types: Daisy, anemone, button, pompon, spider, decorative and spoontip.

Cluster pots with pumpkins and other fall offerings to create colorful displays on porch steps, decks and patios. If you plan to plant in the garden, get mums in the ground in early to mid-fall. They need a little time to establish a healthy root system before the first hard frost.

Mums require full sun for best development, and wind protection. Soil should be well-draining with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Enrich the site with compost and other organic matter. Dig the hole to the same depth as the plant is in the pot. Water thoroughly after planting and keep soil moist (not wet) until hard frost. Resist fertilizing. You don't want to encourage foliage growth or budding. When the ground freezes, mulch heavily. Yoder, famed for introducing dozens of mum and aster varieties, suggests Âmulching with leaves to at least six inches deep.

Don't cut back plants after blooming. Dried foliage will capture fall leaves and protect the plant crown.

In spring, remove mulch and cut away any dead or damaged stems. Fertilize on a regular basis until August. Water regularly.

Mums tend to grow leggy. Start pinching off new growth when the plant reaches 4 to 6 inches tall to encourage bushiness and branching. Simply use your thumb and index finger to pinch off about one-half of the new growth that appears at the top of each shoot. Keep pinching until mid-July.

Yoder advises dividing mums every other year. In spring when shoots are 4 inches high, dig up the plant. Discard the center portion of the root, separate offshoots and plant those between 18 and 24 inches apart. Fertilize with 10-20-10 or 5-10-5 liquid or granular product. When plants begin to grow, start pinching new growth.