Fall is here! The temperature is quickly dropping, and our garden season is close to its end. Stay on top of your garden with this month's tasks.

FALL PREP FOR THE GARDEN

Typically, fall brings wetter weather in my part of the country, but if the weather stays dry, continue watering trees until the ground freezes. Mulch to protect them during the winter. If your grass is still growing, continue mowing it. Clean up the yard for winter by removing weeds, deadheading and cutting perennials to the ground, and getting rid of diseased plants, or plants that had pest issues all year. Insects can actually overwinter, so the cleanup helps get rid of their eggs and avoid giving them places to hide. To avoid lawn damage and disease, rake leaves and either remove from yard or shred them and compost. They can also be used as mulch for winter protection.

FALL PLANTING

Any spring bulbs you've acquired can be planted now, including garlic. Make sure to follow the planting instructions as some like to be planted fairly deep into the soil.

For spring blooms, you can layer bulbs of different flowers in the soil and produce a very lush spring blooming effect! Make sure to plant your deepest bulbs first!

LAST HARVESTS OF SUMMER & FALL HARVESTS

Harvest any vegetables that are sensitive to frost (this is pretty much anything that couldn't be grown in early spring.) If you have green tomatoes, leave them on a windowsill, countertop or put them in a paper bag to ripen. Your veggies planted specifically for fall harvesting may be ready now as well. If any freezes happen protect plants as needed.

Happy October! Tis the season for all things spooky and orange! How are you holding up now that summer is over? Download these wallpapers to help you transition into the new season.

To download wallpaper to your desktop:

+ Click the image to open a larger version (depending on your browser, you may need to click again to make it go full-sized)
+ Save the image to your desktop
+ Select 'System Preferences' and then Desktop/Screensaver.
+ Or right click image and set as wallpaper