September around here is harvest and hope in the same basket: jars on the counter, empty beds waiting on the next crop, and those first cooler evenings on the porch. Summer is still filling the kitchen, but go outside in the morning and fall is already tapping on the door.

We’re in that late-summer handoff: the garden is still producing, but it’s also time to keep picking what’s ready and start making room for fall.

A lot of our annuals have been running a summer marathon. Petunias, begonias, vinca, impatiens, marigolds, coleus, and those flowering hanging baskets can still look great if we give them a little help.

If the recent storms rolled through your place the way they did for many of us, this is a good week to walk the garden with a clear eye. A little cleanup now helps everything recover faster and keeps the garden healthier heading into the second half of summer.