CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In his article about bringing in houseplants in this week's Real Dirt newsletter, public radio gardening guru Ken Druse created a pruning quandary for me.

"As you bring the plants indoors, take a good look at them. Cut away any dead leaves," Druse says.

I can go with that.

Then he continues.

"Resist the urge to prune them back or repot the plants unless they dry out every day. You don't want to promote new growth in the lower light conditions. You will be able to prune and repot the plants in late winter."

My dear, dear friend Kim gave me several large houseplants when she recently downsized. One is a vinelike plant that has gone quite crazy on my back patio. It's been covered with neat little white and reddish-purple blooms all summer, but now it's winding down and looking a bit spent. I was going to whack it back (Kim said this is OK!), but Ken says differently.

So, thanks to the power of Facebook, I sent a message to Kim. Seems I had forgotten the name of the plant, so I couldn't look up care instructions.

Kim connected me to www.plantcare.com and nicely reminded me that the plant's a bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsonae). The website calls it a woody climber that submits well to the constraint of a low trellis.

Here's the part that I was interested to know -- the care instructions:

"Mist frequently with warm water (lime-free to avoid leaf staining). Place pebbles or gravel in the drainage dish to hold water and increase the humidity, make sure the pot is sitting on the gravel and not in the water. Rest and prune the plant during the winter season."

So I'll be pruning.

Sorry, Ken. I think you're brilliant, but on this one, I'm taking advice from my friend. I've found through years of gardening that even the rules from the experts are open to interpretation.

However, I will follow this bit of advice from Druse for those homeward-bound houseplants:

"Besides providing enough light, keeping relative humidity up is a challenge when the heat is on. You can use humidifiers that will help you and the plants. You can also place pebbles in the trays, and when you water the plants, water the pebble trays, as well. Water will evaporate from the trays to raise humidity."

Cole crops

A flier from the University of New Hampshire's extension agency (and they know cold weather up there!) describes "cole crops."

Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale make up a group of cool-season vegetables known as cole crops. The word "cole" means "stem" and has nothing to do with the fact that these vegetables are tolerant to "cold." They are hardy and grow best in the spring and fall. Full sun is preferable. Mature cole crops are quite hardy and will withstand several frosts or even snow in the fall, therefore "garden storage" is feasible well into October and November, even later for the hardiest varieties of kale and Brussels sprouts.

There's a workshop about cole crops set for 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Rock Lake Community Life Center (formerly Rock Lake Putt Putt and pool), at 905 Village Drive, South Charleston. Admission is pay-what-you-can, and tickets are available at the door.

Angela Rexroad will lead the session, and there will be seeds to take home following her talk. Recommended for ages 12 and up; call 304-768-4141.

Ahhh, autumn

A friend commented on the ups and downs of autumn in West Virginia:

"My eyes are itchy and red and I'm sneezing, but the goldenrod, wild sunflowers, Joe-Pye weed and little purple things are just beautiful along the side of the road."

So true.

But I have to write my annual reminder to my friend and other readers: Don't blame the goldenrod -- it blooms at the same time as ragweed, which is the real culprit. Ragweed is pollinated by the wind; goldenrod has fat, sticky pollen grains that are transferred by insects. To prompt a sneeze from goldenrod, you'll have to stick your face down into the bloom.

Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.