For plants that flower right up until the first freeze and provide gardens with a last gasp of late fall color, try stokesia and Montauk daisies.
Stokesia is a native perennial and is hardy to Zone 5, so these flowers prefer the Champlain Valley and lower Connecticut River Valley areas.
A native in the daisy family, stokesia blooms with almost a lavender-blue colored flower that is larger than an aster. One variety called “Riptide” grows up one to two feet tall and wide and is an evergreen.
Because it's a native, stokesia is a great pollinator plant, too, and thrives in wet areas near ponds and streams, as well as your garden. Stokesia grows up and starts flowering in July and August and continues flowering right into October.
The other late-bloomer is called the Montauk daisy and hails originally from Japan. This daisy was brought over many years ago to Long Island and is ubiquitous in Montauk this time of year.
In the garden and landscape, Montauks resemble shasta daisies and are also hardy to Zone 5, with blooms beginning in August and right up until frost.
Montauk daisies grow as large, bushy plants and can be a couple of feet tall and wide with a plethora of flowers. Use these daisies as cut flowers too, and both of these are deer- and rabbit-proof.
More from NPR: The USDA’s gardening zones shifted. This map shows you what’s changed in vivid detail
What grub is getting into squash?
Q: I have a small grub, or a caterpillar, larva that's white with a blackhead. It's burrowing into a few of my winter squash. It's left the plant stems alone, but is burrowing into the fruit itself, only in the large squashes I have (butternut, hubbard, sweet meat). Any ideas as to what this is? - Erik, in Brookfield
A: It most likely is the squash vine borer. And while it's unusual that they go after the actual fruit, they have been known to do so.
Because the small wasp with red and orange markings tend to lay their eggs around the base of the squash plant in the early summer, the larva then tunnel into the plant’s stems.
But if they lay the eggs a little bit later, the vine borer caterpillar will go after the squash themselves.
Next year, try to plant varieties or types of winter squash that the squash vine borer moth doesn’t like. (They tend to like Hubbard and delicata.)
You could also intervene by placing a yellow bowl with some soapy water in it near the squash plants in late June.
When that moth is flying and looking to lay eggs, the color yellow will attract them, they’ll land in the water, and die.
You can also try to cover your plants with a floating row cover up until flowering. That layer will prevent them from laying eggs early. Another tip to plant your winter squash a little bit later, like in early July, and let it grow out through the season. That way you're missing that life cycle stage where the caterpillar will form.
How to get lavender to come back
Q: I'm wondering if my lavender in the ground will come back in the spring. My thyme comes back, so I'm hoping it's the same with lavender. - Heather, via email
A: Yes, lavender can come back, especially if you protect it! Wait till late November, then bury your lavender with some wood chips — not bark mulch or sawdust.
That material is big and chunky with plenty of airflow. No need to bury the whole plant, just the bottom to protect the crown.
Then, in spring, remove the wood chips from it and cut it back heavily, because it can get really woody, and that will actually stimulate more of the shoots that come up. You get more lavender flowers and beautiful leaves.
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