For most of the country the cool weather is on the doorstep and the growing season is coming to an end. As your garden prepares for its winter’s nap, here are some things you should do to help.

Clean up-This is the time to clean up your garden. Sweep away leaves and debris-if left they give pests a place to hide and encourage fungal diseases. Remove dead and dying plants and vines and prune away any damaged branches. As long as the debris and plants you remove show no signs of disease or insect infestation it can be added to the compost pile.

Mulch- Add fresh mulch to shrubs and bushes, being sure to cover the roots thoroughly. This will protect them from freeze damage.

Prepare your beds- Turn over your vegetable, herb and flower beds. This is also the time to plant bulbs for spring color.

Head indoors-If you had your houseplants outside for the summer, now’s the time to bring them in. This is also the time to take cuttings of any plants you want and bring them indoors to root.

Harvest- Pick any remaining vegetables. Add any that are immature to the compost pile. If you want any of your plants to self sow, stop deadheading them.

Slow down- Stop fertilizing and slow down watering. You’ll also want to stop mowing the lawn as it will be going dormant soon and needs a thick thatch to protect its root system.

Tool around- Clean your garden tools thoroughly and store them in a weatherproof location. This includes your garden hose, which should be drained completely to prevent freeze damage and coiled up. You should also clean and store your gardening accessories (pots, planters, garden décor, etc) and furniture.

Seed- If you have any bare areas on your lawn, now is the time to seed them. Use netting to keep birds away until the seeds germinate.

Once your chores are done you can start planning next year’s garden. Take note of what plants did and didn’t do well, scour plant magazines and catalogs for interesting new plants you’d like to try, and start getting your seed orders together. If you want to add any structures to your garden next year, such as a pond or gazebo, now is a good time to start planning for it. It’s much easier to visualize things when the garden is bare, and before you know it, Spring will be here once again!