I don't fertilize anything after the middle of August, and i still water some things, but usually we have enough rain in the fall. When you're planting bulbs, use some Bulb Booster (which i never have!) or bonemeal. I don't fertilize until spring.

Errr, a month ago? LOL. My gardens are going dormant already, it's been so dry. I could waste thousands of dollars on water and it would just soak away and evaporate. I've been watering my 2 newly-planted shrubs and my ligularia to keep it looking fresh. Other than that, I'm hoping for a few good soaking rains before the ground freezes.

I don't understand how everything still looks so green in Edmonton when the ground is dry and cracked and we just went through a week of the hottest weather of the summer. I've been watering select things in the veggie garden (squash, pumpkins, pole beans), the pine trees, clematis, daylilies, and the flower garden where the daffodil and tulip bulbs are planted.

For bulbs, I fertilize them anytime from pre-emergence in the spring to just after the flowers are finished at the end of May or early June -- just one fertilizing. But in the fall I will water them if we've had a dry spell, because I want the bulbs to plump up and put out some good roots in preparation for their spring show. I gave them a good soaking this week, might do so again in 2 or 3 weeks if it remains dry.

I've been watering only perennials that have been transplanted this year, as well as my newly planted irises and daylilies. I'm watering my bugbane because it is looking pretty crispy and will still bloom later this fall. If I had watered everything else, a lot of other things would still be blooming, even my yarrows are pretty well done! Oh well. I think I'll get some soaker hoses for next year.

As far as trees, anything that has been planted in the last 2 years I've been watering.

I don't fertilize anything past July, and as far as bulbs, I do what Don does: fertilize once in spring just after flowering. Personally, I don't think fertilizing bulbs will help too much in fall - they've already got all their "juice" for next years bloom..they just need water to put down good roots.