A few last outdoor jobs for the to-do list

Frugality is more than just being mindful of what we spend. It also includes giving care and maintenance to the things we already own.  Most of us have a list of chores we take care of every fall before the first freeze. These chores give years of use to our home and belongings.

We bring in the garden hoses, because otherwise, if they freeze with water still inside they could burst, or develop a crack. (Still need to do this one.)

We clean our rain gutters, because if we don't, and they become clogged, water that spills over could set up a situation for rot to develop in the adjacent wood structures. (Most of ours done, but one area still needs scooping out.)

We cover, or bring in, vulnerable patio and deck furniture. I spent many hours sanding, priming and repainting some pieces of wood furniture on our deck this summer. I want to protect the work I did, and hopefully not need to repaint so soon. (I finally got some covers ordered this week!)

We bring back inside our houseplants that we give over to the summer elements, for a few months every year. Otherwise it's adios houseplants. (Am I the only one who takes houseplants outside for summer sun and free rain watering? I take all but the African violets out in late Spring and bring back in October. I just brought them in this week. Let's hope I'm in time. Last year I was a few days late and our weeping fig tree lost all of its leaves for winter :-o Poor thing, looked pathetic until it sprouted new leaves.)

We prune branches from trees that could catch the wind, break off and cause damage to our house. (Still need to do a bit of this. I may need to buy a tool for this work. My years on a high ladder may have come to an end.) But do not get too prune-happy and start pruning all the shrubs and trees in your yard. Pruning is best done in mid-winter (Jan and Feb for northern hemisphere), when plants are dormant. Pruning now could result in the plant putting on new growth, which would be tender and subject to damage with frost and freezes.

We clean up leaves on walkways, the lawn, and those on top of plants that could develop fungus should a pile of leaves sit on them all winter. (We'll be raking until late November. that's just how long it takes for them all to fall here.)

With all those leaves and pine needles, we mulch our beds, to protect the investment in our landscape plants. Mulching keeps the soil warmer in winter, cooler in summer, suppresses those pesky weeds and holds water. Put up to 3 inches of mulch around plants in beds and borders. (We'll get to this when all the raking is done!)

We do 1 last mowing of the lawn, neither too high, nor too short. Scalping the lawn will put stress on it, not a good thing going into winter. Also, in most areas, there's no benefit to fertilizing lawns in fall, despite what the chemical companies tell us. If wanting to improve the soil where your lawns sits, one of the best ways to do this is by leaving the clippings and shredded leaves (from mowing) on top. It won't be very attractive at first, but by winter's end, this mulch will have broken down significantly, and will feed the soil in early spring, just as new growth begins.

While I'm working on my to-do list, it's easy for me to forget that what I'm really doing is preserving what's already been purchased. We're saving money by doing these chores. Reminding myself of this helps me to get it all done in time for those cozy days indoors, armchair gardening with a seed catalog, and dreaming of the idyllic days of next summer.

What am I overlooking? I'm sure there are many maintenance chores left off this brief list. What's left on your outdoor to-do list?