HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- If you haven't noticed, the evenings are getting shorter and the dew is starting to cover the lawns each morning. It all indicates that fall and maybe a snow flake or two are just around the corner.

Before we get too depressed that summer is on its way out, lets think and talk about the things that need to be done management-wise out in your landscape. First of all, don't be too late again in planting your pansies and winter mums that are available at many of your favorite lawn and garden centers. As a matter of fact, I'm seeing the start of displays of winter mums as I visit some of the local greenhouses.

As for pansies, they will be available in the next few weeks. Both need to be in the ground say around the first two weeks of September. The reasoning here is that the earlier you get them planted, the better they will survive year after year for the mums and so they will bloom to their greatest potential for pansies.

Mums need to be planted as soon as possible and probably as you see them available at the garden centers. The problem most gardeners have is that they plant them too late and they don't get a chance for the plant to get adjusted to their new location. Its almost the same for pansies.

Like the winter mums, pansies will give you a real show in the fall, and as the watch advertisement used to say, they will keep on ticking or blooming in the case of pansies all winter long and up to about the middle of July.

You snooze you lose in the case of having pansies and winter mums in your landscape. Buy them as soon as they become available at the garden centers.