Fall is one of the best times to work in the garden. The weather is cooler, the leaves are changing, there's a sense of accomplishment that comes with closing up the garden for the season. Fall is a great time to do many garden chores. Here's an essential fall task list to consider;
 

• OVER SEED   Now is the perfect time to over seed your lawn to keep it thick and healthy. Seeding in fall reduces the competition from fast growing warm season weeds such as crabgrass. Soil temperatures are also still warm in fall for germination while the cooler air temperatures are better for grass growth. Also, there are usually better rain amounts (true for this fall so far!).
  
• START A GARDEN JOURNAL    Now is the time to make notes about what you loved, and what you would change, things that you've seen in other gardens, or perhaps something new that you want to take a chance with next season.
  
• ICICLE PANSIES Pop these cold hardy bloomers into bare spots where summer annuals have been cleaned out. They will bloom until December. Then cover with evergreen branches until earliest spring when they'll be ready to sprout new flower buds.
  
• MOVE CLEMATIS/HONEYSUCKLE VINES Autumn is the only time to move these vines to prevent shock to growth. Both of these vines begin pushing out leaves and shoots in early spring while frost is still in the ground. If the vines are large, cut them back by half and they'll recoup two fold next season.
  
• LEAF DISEASE   This season was a bad year for powdery mildew, black spot, scab and blights. Rake up all diseased leaves from under plants and dispose of them in the garbage not in your compost. If left on the soil all winter they will re-infect the plants with disease spores the following spring.
  
• BURLAP Set up burlap barriers to block tender shrubs and broadleaf evergreens from the prevailing winter winds. Do not wrap plants with burlap directly, always place 3 stakes around the shrub then attach burlap to these stakes leaving room for air circulation.
  
• HILL ROSES   Tender hybrid teas, floribunda and grandiflora roses need hilling up above their crowns with fresh soil or triple mix to help winter them over. 
  
•  VEGETABLE GARDEN Clean out the vegetable garden and be sure to amend the soil with lots of manure, peat, and bonemeal. Working all this in now allows you to be ready for the first of the cool season crops to be planted next spring.
  
• BULBS Plant now for gorgeous splashes of colour in your garden next spring. Tulips, daffodils, crocus, muscari and snowdrops are all such a pleasant sight after a long cold winter. Plant in groups of 5 and 7 to make a statement, cover plantings with squirrel netting to keep the pesky critters from stealing all your hard work! 
  
•  WRAP TREES   Be sure to put tree wraps around tree trunks (especially fruit trees) to protect them from hungry mice, rabbits and moles chewing the bark in winter. Once girdled, trees will not survive the next season.
  
• ANTI TRANSPIRANT  Use generous amounts of an anti-transpirant spray like Wilt Pruf on your broadleaf evergreen such as euonymus, rhododendrons and especially boxwood. The waxy coating of this product helps to preserve moisture and prevent windburn and sun scald in winter. You can even use it on your Christmas tree to help keep it fresh throughout the season.
  
• DEER   Now is the time to stock up on Coyote Urine to repel deer throughout the winter season from chewing up all your cherished evergreens and shrubs. A little of this stinky stuff goes a long way!
  
• MULCH Once the ground is frozen add a thick layer of mulch to any tender perennials and shrubs to help protect them through winter. Do not mulch too early as often mice find mulch and leaf piles great winter nests.
  
• WATER I know I keep harping on this but if the rain ever stops and we have a bit of a dry spell be sure to water deeply all evergreens and shrubs right before the final freeze (usually the beginning of  November).
  Autumn is a second spring, when all the leaves are flowers.