Ruby Giant coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Giant') isn't known for towering height. At 2 to 3 feet tall it stands but shoulder-to-shoulder with most modern varieties of this native species. It's the gem-colored petals on flowers up to 5 inches wide that make Ruby Giant a shimmering standout in summer and early fall gardens.

Like all coneflowers, Ruby Giant is easy to grow. Hardy to Zone 3, it sails through challenging winters. Once the growing season arrives, established plants grow robustly in poor soil, bloom effortlessly in scorching sun, and handle excessive heat, drought and humidity with gorgeous prairie-style grit.

Once a staple of native landscapes, purple coneflowers were essential to the web of life. Today cultivated varieties such as Ruby Giant make the same valuable contributions, providing nectar for butterflies, pollen for bees, and important late-season nutrition for seed-eating birds.

While Ruby Giant, like all coneflowers, is adaptable, in the home landscape plants perform best in full sun where well-drained soil has average fertility. Plants are deer-resistant, and the ruby-pink flowers provide long lasting sparkle to indoor bouquets.

••Potatoes can be dug whenever tubers are large enough. For larger potatoes and better yields, wait until the foliage dies down. Carefully handle the tubers because they rot quickly if damaged. Before placing in storage, dry the potatoes enough to remove moisture and loose soil. Keep in dark, cool storage, as tubers exposed to light develop a green color and semi-bitter taste.

••Some crab apples are very susceptible to the fungal disease known as apple scab and those not treated in spring have lost many of their leaves. Remaining leaves are likely affected with black and yellow spots.

Spraying at this point will not help to combat this disease but you can give the trees extra care by watering and fertilizing this fall or next spring. Remove all infected leaves and fruit, including any left on the trees, and do not add them to your compost pile. Also consider replacing disease-prone trees with a disease-resistant variety.

••Sedum or stonecrop is a large group of low succulent plants that can have many uses in the home garden. Flowers range in color from white, yellow, pink and red to purple. They can be easily divided at almost any time of the year and cuttings or broken stem pieces root readily. Most sedums are good plants for poor, stony soil in the hot sun between steppingstones and in rock crevices.

••Raspberries are easy to grow. Harvest everbearing types and prune out all canes that already have produced fruit when harvest is completed. The canes are biennial. Normally they are produced one year, bear fruit the second year and then die. Thorough annual pruning will keep them in good bearing condition. Everbearing types bear early in the season then rest for a few weeks and bear fruit again in September or until frost.

••Install a patio to extend your interior living space outside. The best place is on the south side of the house to get the most use of it during spring, summer and fall. The west side would be a good second choice, although it misses the morning sun.

Partial summer shading will be needed for a patio located on the south or west side. Plant material, arbors or patio furniture can provide this shading. A patio on the east or north side will be cooler in summer but less inviting in the spring and fall.

••If a newly planted tree requires staking there are a few general rules to follow. The trunk should be allowed to flex in the wind without rubbing against the stakes. Ties should not be so tight that they can damage bark or girdle the expanding trunk.

The material used for tying should have a wide, smooth surface to minimize abrasion to the trunk. If twine is used to tie the tree, run it through a length of garden hose wrapped around the trunk for protection. One full growing season is generally adequate and then the staking should be removed.

••It is a good idea to sharpen your lawn mower blades after every eight hours of use. As a safety precaution I disconnect the spark plug when working under a mower. Sharp blades provide a better cut and allow the engine to work more efficiently. Also remember to check the oil and clean out the air filter on a regular basis.

Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.