Gardening

For dedicated gardeners, here are suggestions from the California Assn. of Nurserymen:

* After planting fall- and winter-blooming annuals or bulbs, take steps to control the snails and slugs that will be prowling for those tender young leaves.

* Have fun growing bulbs such as the hyacinth or paper whites in containers indoors. Get the how-to information from a nursery.

* Plant Iceland poppies now to bring colorful blooms to the winter garden or as cut flowers indoors.

* Don’t let dahlia bulbs stay in the ground over the winter. Lift them as soon as the tops have dried.

* Camellias and azaleas need to be lightly fed during the winter months to develop their blooms.