Tidy beds by removing spent summer annuals, dig up any dead or dying plants or bulbs, cut back perennials before frost, remove dead leaves and any other debris from beds, lawn and landscaping. During this time also check the overall health of your existing plants by looking for signs of disease and damage.

Good soil, full of organic matter, is not only essential to enable your plants to readily accept planting time at spring. In fact, it retains moisture, reducing the rate of evaporation. Mulch also helps to prevent moisture evaporation.

We're in luck, the soil is still warm! Plant spring-blooming bulbs, replace summer annuals with cool-weather annuals in window boxes and garden beds, and some deciduous shrubs can be planted during this month. If you lucky you may still get a few things in the vegetable garden too... check those seed packets!

Healthy plants withstand better against cold weather. But if you anticipate a frost, apply at half your summer rate until after the last frost to prevent a flush of tender growth that can be damaged by the cold.

Continue to check your garden daily and harvest mature crops. Cole crops - such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower - and onions produce seed stalk called bolting which can be harvested and used for greens, but will no longer continue to mature.