EARLY FALL
Clear away debris from the base of rosebushes.
Amend your soil. Get the ground ready for next year’s beds and fall bulbs by tilling soil and adding fertilizer.
Shop for bulbs. Order from catalogs or visit garden stores early for best selection.
Plant shrubs and evergreens. Early fall planting gives new plants enough time to get their roots established before winter. They should be planted 6 weeks prior to ground freezing frost.
Plant fall annuals. As your summer blooms fade, add color to your garden with fall annuals.
MID FALL
Lower the height on your mower. Grass grows more slowly in the fall, but it still needs to be trimmed to prepare for winter. A lower cutting height helps the soil dry out more quickly in spring.
Divide and cut back perennials. Try rearranging plants if they haven’t been working in their current location.
Rake and mulch. Left unattended, fallen leaves will suffocate your lawn and beds.
Dig up summer bulbs. Store dahlias and caladium in peat moss for the winter.
LATE FALL
Feed your lawn. Don’t let your lawn go into winter without the nutrients it needs to battle the long sleep.
Bring tender container plants indoors.
Remove dead foliage and break up hardened soil.
Dig up annuals. Spent and dead, your summer annuals can now nourish the compost heap.
Protect cold-sensitive plants. Shrubs, roses and perennials that might succumb to blasts of cold should be protected with mulches or screens.
