SpringfieldNewsSun.com

A hard frost will surely be here soon. Harvest all your green tomatoes so they don't go to waste. You may wrap them each in a single layer of newspaper and store in a box to ripen slowly — be sure to check them often.

Making fried green tomatoes is an excellent way to use them as well. Cut into 1/2-inch slices, salt and pepper them, dredge in cornmeal, and then fry in hot bacon grease or canola oil for about three minutes on each side. Enjoy!

Readers ask:

Trimming Rose of

Q: I want to trim back a Rose of Sharon bush that is now 10-feet tall. I'd like to cut it back 50 percent. Can I? And if so, when is the best time? I've also read that I can trim a forsythia bush back to the ground. Can I do this as well? — JRS

A: Rose of Sharon is a wonderful addition to the landscape. It is a shrub that grows eight to 12-feet tall, is easy to grow in full sun, flowers abundantly in late summer and doesn't mind if deer take nibbles all winter.

Growing in Zones 5-8, it is also the national flower of Korea. You may prune Rose of Sharon right after blooming or anytime during winter while it is dormant. The best time to prune is early spring, before it breaks dormancy, in February or March. Yes, you may prune 50 percent of the shrub, this shrub can take hard pruning. Keep shape in mind — thin as well as prune.

Now, about forsythia.

You could cut a forsythia all the way to the ground, but you may not get blooms for a couple of years. Most professionals advocate a less drastic approach.

To keep a graceful natural appearance to a forsythia shrub, follow this method. Forsythia blooms in early spring, about late March or so. Older overgrown specimens should be pruned to maintain a graceful flowing look. They should be pruned very soon after flowering, within two weeks.

Prune the old thicker branches all the way to the ground. The older ones are the ones that have flowered. Aim to prune about a third of the old branches each year until the bush is renewed. The newer branches should not be pruned, to allow for blooms the following year.

In about three years, your

shrub will be renewed. Spend a few minutes every March thereafter cutting back a few older branches to maintain the look of the shrub. Avoid what has been a practice for some people, trying to maintain the shrub in an unnatural geometric shape, instead of going with the natural look of the shrub — it is much more attractive.

Where can I find a Toad Lily?

Q: My mother saw your article in the JournalNews that included a picture of the toad lily. She asked me to find out where she can get one. Is there any place we can buy one locally? — Jack, Hamilton

A: Your mother can get one (or more) toad lilies or tricyrtis at a large local garden center. There are several good garden centers in the area. They may or may not have any left this fall. If they do, go ahead and plant it now, right after you bring it home in a partially shady spot with good soil.

If they are out of them for the year, come back in spring when the selection will be excellent. My tricyrtis are still blooming away furiously and will continue to do so until a hard frost.