Some Fun Thanksgiving Facts for You:

• The Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving feast, in 1621, lasted three days.
• On October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued a "Thanksgiving Proclamation" that made the last Thursday in November a national holiday.
• In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November, in order to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy. Two years later, he changed it to the fourth Thursday.
• In 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, on the fourth Thursday in November.
• There were no mashed potatoes at the first Thanksgiving dinner - potatoes were brought here later, by Irish immigrants.
• Turkeys were one of the first animals in the Americas to be domesticated.
• Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey a noble bird and wanted it to be the national bird of America, rather than the eagle!
• Native Americans used the red juice of the cranberry to dye rugs and blankets.
• Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
• The pilgrims didn't use forks, they used spoons, knives and their fingers, so if anyone objects to your picking up that drumstick - tell them you are practicing traditional American table manners!

Nothing is more beautiful in the garden than a large display of cyclamen. They are among the best winter-blooming plants. You can use them in pots on tables, by the front door, or planted in a nice shady spot outdoors. And they're great for atriums.

A few notes on growing cyclamen:

General:
• Try to keep water away from the crown area (they can get crown rot).
• Do not bury them too deep - keep the top of the tuber just slightly above the soil line.
• Keep your plants well fed; feed every couple of weeks while they are in full leaf.
• Pull out the stems that have gone to seed. (Hint! The seeds are hard, the new buds are soft. They look very much alike so this is an important little fact.)
• Pick a few flowers to go into a bud vase. They are lovely and last quite well.
• As the flowers begin to fade, gradually allow the plant to dry out for 2-3 months; don't feed during this time.
• Resume feeding when new growth appears.

Outdoors:
• Cyclamen like cool weather (that's why they make great winter-bloomers). That means outdoors in a shady to semi-shady spot. If you have a spot that is full shade in summer and gets more light in winter, that is ideal.
• Make sure they are planted in a well-draining area.
• They like cool weather - but not cold. Some are more hardy than others, but most need some protection against cold.

Indoors:
• Pick a cool spot. Make sure they have good air circulation - but keep out of cold drafts and hot, dry air.
• High humidity, especially during winter, is very important. Try putting the cyclamen on a tray of water with a layer of pebbles form a shelf for pot to sit on. Don't put the cyclamen itself in the water. You want humidity around the plant, not soggy soil.
• Let the cyclamen have plenty of light in winter - sunburn is rarely a problem. In summer keep it in indirect light.
• Repot when the tuber fills the existing pot; it's best to repot it while it's dormant. Use a pot just a little larger than the old pot.

By Tamara Galbraith

By now, most of the country has already experienced its first frost of the season. Most non-hardy annuals have turned to toast, and perennials are shutting down. This is a good time for you to step back and fill out a report card on your plants and how they performed for you.

In particular, study the ones that didn't do so well and ask yourself why. Here are a number of questions to consider:

1. Was the plant healthy to begin with? It's hard for plants to get over transplant shock when they're already stressed from such things as insect infestation or being rootbound in a pot.

2. Real estate agents aren't the only one who emphasize location, location, location; plants can die easily if not placed properly. Are you providing the correct amounts of sunlight or shade? Also, examine if the plant is exposed to overly windy conditions, if it's on a hillside or in a ditch where drainage could be an issue or if the soil around the plant is compacted, too sandy, too heavy with clay...or just plain bad. The good news is that this is a good time to move plants to a better location if need be.

3. Overwatering is probably the most common cause of plant death. If you dig a plant up and the roots are black and soggy, it's likely a goner due to overwatering. Likewise, most plants cannot survive overly dry conditions. Many of us were faced with watering restrictions this past summer and some plants just couldn't take the lack of moisture. The answer? Replace them with plants that can take such conditions. You'd be surprised at the number of gorgeous, drought-tolerant plants!

4. Position is also important. Planting too deeply can be fatal for many plants, especially trees. You should always be able to see the root flare of a tree. Likewise, many plants benefit from having their rootball stick up about an inch above the soil line. This allows for better drainage and for subsequent settling.

5. Is the plant just not suited for your area? This one is the most difficult to accept for most gardeners. You fall in love with a plant, and despite your best efforts, it still doesn't survive. Try not to take it personally and chalk it up to experience.

Sometimes gardening, like life, has its painful moments where you simply have to let go.

By Tamara Galbraith

You see them all over the place during autumn: bales of hay used as fall decor. But once all the pumpkins and scarecrows have been put away, what should you do with your bale of hay? (Hey, I made a rhyme!)

One option is: compost it. Hay is an excellent additive to the compost pile, and ideally, the heat of the pile will kill any weed seeds that might be languishing in the bales. Straw apparently breaks down even better than hay.

Hay and straw make great mulches and/or path covers too. First, though, break open the bales and let them sit outside for a couple of weeks. This will allow wild birds to come in and munch on any weed seeds that might still be present. When spreading hay or straw bales on garden beds, be sure they don't stay too clumpy as you break the bales apart.

Lastly, hay bales left intact make great cold frames - a kind of mini-greenhouse for housing tender plants during the colder seasons. Simply arrange the bales in a tight square and place your plants inside, either right in the soil or in containers. A piece of Plexiglas or an old window serves as the lid.

If you decide to give this easy cold frame a try, be aware that you must monitor the temperature frequently. Too much sun, and the plants inside will fry, so prop the lid open if necessary. If temperatures are going to drop below freezing, throw a blanket over the whole contraption and remove it when things stabilize.

No matter what, the hay will eventually break down, though, so keep an eye out for that -- as well as the occasional mouse looking for a warm, fluffy place to spend the winter.

Adam was born in La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, and grew up in Southern California — except for the time he spent in Nebraska. He lives with his mom, his little brother and his lady love, Julia.

He says his love of plants developed spur of the moment when he was walking one snowy Nebraska day and spotted a beam of light shining through onto some plants and trees. He stopped to admire the sight and has been admiring plant life ever since.