During the winter, many of us northern gardeners go through withdrawal symptoms, cruelly deprived of many of the plants we came to know and love during the spring, summer and fall. For some, the cure for the wintertime blues lies in drawing up landscape plans for next year -- whether formally or informally. Others take solace in gardening indoors.

Fortunately, we needn't restrict ourselves when gardening indoors to the typical potting soil in which people grow houseplants, nor must we use chemical fertilizers. Composting through vermiculture provides an alternative on both scores. "Vermiculture is a way of composting using earthworms to speed up the process," writes Amy Jeanroy. "It is easily done inside the home as it takes only a small amount of room and creates no odor." About's Guide to Herb Gardens supplies more information in this article on vermiculture.

When you "force" bulbs to bloom out of season, you are using a "technique that imitates the environmental conditions that bulbs encounter outdoors, thereby tricking them into flowering earlier," as Marie Iannotti puts it. So my question to you is: Are you feeling tricky? About.com's Gardening Guide discusses how to force bulbs in detail, in case you'd like some tips for pulling the wool over Mother Nature's eyes.

As for me, I'll leave the trickery to others -- at least until someone finds a way to trick Old Man Winter into staying away. No, in fall I'm much more interested in planting bulb plants in the ground, in anticipation of spring. This, despite the fact that perhaps the last thing on our minds this time of year is a spring flower display. Many of us become too absorbed with fall foliage or Halloween decorations in autumn to think ahead to spring.

But while it's tempting to immerse ourselves in autumn's abundance and leave next year to next year, fall is the time to plant those bulbs that will yield such rich floral color once spring does return. A little foresight goes a long way....

What plants are shining most brightly in your November yard? In cold climates, flowers have now taken a backseat to foliage. For me, the stars for November (which include some holdovers from October) are the following plants -- chosen for their fall foliage, unless otherwise indicated:

• Sweetgum Tree
• Japanese maple tree
• Smoke bush
• Fothergilla
• Virginia sweetspire
• Oakleaf hydrangea
• Korean spice viburnum
• Ninebark
• Maiden grass (plumes)
• Cotoneaster (berries)

How about you? Vote in my poll and let us know what plants are shining most brightly in your own yard right now. Or if there's a plant you'd like to nominate that does not appear on the list, tell us about that plant in the Landscaping Forum.

Let Us Know What Plants Are Currently Delighting You!

There are plants with "white" flowers, and then there are plants with "brilliant-white" flowers -- such as candytuft. In fact, candytuft puts on such a wonderful display that I recommend you go out of your way to grow it somewhere where you'll be able to enjoy its dazzling color to the fullest. That means 3 things that I can think of right away:

1. Grow candytuft where it will be able to hang over a stone wall or over a raised bed wall, for example.
2. Orient your planting of candytuft in such a way that you'll be able to appreciate it easily from a much-frequented vantage point (a window or a patio, for example).
3. Don't grow candytuft under messy trees that will detract from its display.

Regarding this latter point, I speak from personal experience. I have my candytuft growing under a Kwanzan cherry (not directly under, but close by). Unfortunately, however, during the period just after my Kwanzan cherry tree drops its flowers, the visual impact of my candytuft's blossoms isn't as powerful. Why? Because the ground, which otherwise would be dark -- thereby providing a good contrast with the brightness of the candytuft flowers -- is littered with the bright blooms from the Kwanzan. As a result, I feel that my candytuft display is wasted for a few days (until the fallen blossoms from the Kwanzan cherry tree begin to fade).

Read article: Candytuft