We were so busy with the fair, harvesting tomatoes and enjoying late summer in our gardens that we forgot to post about the September/October issue of Northern Gardener. It’s on newsstands now and has some great articles. Here are a few of the many tips you’ll uncover in this issue:

• When you choose annuals next spring, consider those that bloom well into fall. Michelle Mero Riedel lists 15 that can take some frost. Our favorite: ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia.
• Shrubs aren’t just green anymore. We recommend colorful ones, including Orange Rocket barberry for reddish orange tones and the fantastic Little Devil ninebark for a deep burgundy in the garden.
• Our stellar columnists offer tips on some unsung heroes among perennial plants, how to grow grasses from warmer zones and how to preserve all of the food you’re harvesting and much more.

You can find Northern Gardener at Lund’s and Byerly’s, Barnes and Noble, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and many nurseries around Minnesota. Subscribe — or better yet, join MSHS — here.