1. Now's the time to seed or reseed your lawn. Keep grass seed moist until germination occurs. Add weed-free straw or salt marsh hay to hold seed in place.

2. Apply lawn fertilizer and add lime if necessary. A 50-lb. bag of lime will raise lawn pH about 0.5 point per 1,000 square feet.

3. Feed your compost pile with lawn trimmings and shredded brown leaf, alternating layers. Add an activator to speed up decomposition.

4. Plant perennials and spring-flowering bulbs. Fertilize and water in well.

5. Plant fall pansy and flowering cabbage and kale in window boxes, containers, and garden beds.

6. Sow pansy and viola seed in garden for bloom next spring.

7. Fall is a great time to plant new trees and shrubs.

8. Mulch spring-planted trees and shrubs and be sure to water them thoroughly and deeply.

9. Apply an anti-desiccant to broadleaf evergreens and specimen conifers while temperatures are still above 50 degrees.

10. Watch your compost pile. This is a good time to add an activator for brown leaves & lawn trimmings

11. Check your lawn for grub activity. Sure signs are brown patches of lawn with turf that you can peel back.

12. Plant spring flowering bulbs. Plan on the end of this month. Fertilize and water in well.

13. Plant fall pansy, flowering cabbage and kale. They all love the cooler night temps that come with autumn

14. Mulch in spring-planted trees and shrubs. Don't permit them to get too dry; water them throughly and deeply

15. Start amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus for holiday blooms. (Allow 5-6 weeks for paperwhites and 12 weeks for amaryllis).

16. Apply fall lawn fertilizer at this time

17. Re-seed areas damaged by grubs with insect resistant seed varieties

18. Fall is a great time to start a compost pile. Start out with brown leaf and add the last few trimmings for nitrogen. Remember to alternate layers. Shred brown leaf to speed decomposition

19. Prepare soil and amend with compost and organic material

20. Prepare to remove and store tender bulbs and tubers

21. Harvest herb roots and store

22. Schedule a fall cleanup to remove all leaves, twigs and garden debris

23. Continue to mow and edge lawns as needed

24. Divide and transplant perennial plants

25. Transplant evergreens

26. Cut and harvest flowers needed for dried flowers

27. Plan on bringing in tropical houseplants before frost

28. empty and store terra cotta containers of all annual plantings

29. Rake leaves

30. Repair and care for garden tools, hoses and clippers