While you admire the gorgeous fall foliage make sure to water all of your perennials and flowering shrubs well during the autumn months. Plants will survive and thrive if they go into winter well-hydrated. (Paul Bradbury/OJO Images via Getty Images)

After some delightful late summer days, this week we got a glimpse of fall. I had already noticed that a strong breeze produced a whirl of dried leaves. The vines clinging to the trees have already turned red.

One final sign of fall is the simmering soup pot on my stove. The last of the season’s tomatoes and some beautiful peppers make great contributions to my pot of gumbo simmering on the back burner.

This is the time of year to enjoy the seasonal change while you tend fall crops, clear spent beds and stow tender bulbs and perennials you intend to save. This is a good time of year to apply a generous layer of compost to your beds. Remember that if you are using fresh manure, you must allow it to age before you try and plant in it. My neighbor, Jack, adds a fresh layer of hot manure early each fall and he grows wonderful tomatoes every summer.

Your amaryllis should be drying out. They need a dormant period of about eight weeks before they are ready to sprout again. Store the bulbs in a dark, cool area until you see new growth sprouting from the bulb.

As you finish with tools, clean them, sharpen blades and lightly sand wooden handles before treating with oil. Rinse dirt off your other tools. Wash and disinfect pots as you empty them and get rid of any damaged ones. Store plastic, terra cotta, ceramic and other delicate pots out of the weather.

If you decorate for Halloween, get your stuff out of storage and examine them. Look for broken or frayed wires, punctures and uncooperative lights. Replace damaged items or add new ones to your display. Mark your garden beds to protect delicate or newly planted areas. This is a good practice for most gardeners as it will indicate where not to step or dig in support stakes for the rest of the year. Make sure all decorations are securely staked so that the strong winds of fall and winter do not send them flying down the street or into the neighbor’s yard.

While the weather is still nice, check windows and doors for gaps and reseal. It will not only save heat but keep winter guests like stink bugs and lady bugs from spending the winter with you.

Clean and repair gutters. Properly working gutters will protect roofs and avoid washout damage. We get clogs in ours, and I can always tell when the birds start using the gutters as birdbaths that it is time to get them cleaned. We hire someone to clear ours, age, bad joints and common sense tell me we are not the ones who should be up on the ladder clearing muck.

If you cater to the birds, clear and clean feeders, add warming boxes and consider if you intend to keep the water from freezing in the birdbath. Heaters and small fountains will help so order them now.

Most important, take the time to watch and enjoy the seasonal changes, the migrating birds, the colorful leaves, the drying grasses, and the pumpkins, asters, kale, gourds, mums and other fall favorites.

Seed-eating wildlife continues to be a frequent topic:

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about goldfinches eating our sunflower seeds all summer.

Yesterday my husband noticed a sunflower top wobbling mightily. Turns out a chipmunk had made the ascent to mine a sunflower head and, no doubt, put by a bit for the winter.

Nice write up in yesterday’s Morning Call. I thought I would add to your comment about lantana plants. I put two market packs (3″) in each of two 16-inch pots. I add water and occasionally some Miracle Grow. They seem to be thirsty.

Parkland Garden Club: Plant, Yard and Bake Sale on Fri/Sat Sept 23-24 from 9-1 at 5173 Hanover Drive in Allentown 18106 (right off of Brookside Road near the Post Office).

Sue Kittek is a freelance garden columnist, writer, and lecturer. Send questions to Garden Keeper at grdnkpr@gmail.com or mail: Garden Keeper, The Morning Call, PO Box 1260, Allentown, PA 18105.

Planting: Plant pansies, asters, mums, and other fall plants. Sow seeds that require a cold period for germination. Plant perennials, trees and shrubs. Plant bulbs starting in mid-October. Divide and replant summer blooming perennials as they finish flowering.

Seasonal: Allow the final flush of flowers to go to seed. Many provide food for the birds and small mammals during the fall and winter. Pot up plants to winter over indoors. Take cuttings of those annuals that you want to winter over. Cut back peony greens to about three to four inches tall.

Lawn: Seed, overseed, dethatch and aerate lawns through mid-October. Apply broadleaf weed control, through mid-October. Install sod as the weather cools, complete in October. Treat for chinch bugs and sod webworms. Purchase fertilizer and, if desired, until mid-October. Cut as needed, based on growth not schedule, to a height of about 2 inches tall. Use a sharp blade. Keep newly seeded or sodded lawns watered; supplement rain in weeks where less than an inch. Fill in holes and low spots in lawn.

Chores: Watch for frosts. Protect tender plants and get a few more weeks of color. Stop pruning. Order or buy mulch for winter but do not apply until the ground freezes. Stop watering amaryllis bulbs. Allow the bulbs to dry out and go dormant. Store in a cool dry area until they resprout in about 8 to 10 weeks. Order bulb and plants for fall shipment. Check seed inventory for late crops and fall planting. Bring in plants. Repot those that need it and pot up others you want to winter over indoors. Harvest crops regularly, at least every other day. Remove and compost spent plants. Dump standing water and remove anything that may collect rainwater to help control mosquito populations. Water any recent plantings and containers anytime we experience a week with less than an inch of rain. Repair damaged screens and caulking around windows and doors in preparation for the indoor invasion of wintering over insects and rodents.

Maintain deer, rabbit and groundhog protection for vulnerable plants. Reapply taste or scent deterrents. Clean and fill bird feeders regularly. Clean up spilled seed and empty hulls. Dump, scrub and refill birdbaths at least once a week.

Clear gutters and direct rainwater runoff away from house foundations.

Tools, equipment, and supplies: Check winter/fall equipment, repair or replace as needed. Safety:

Clear lawns of debris before mowing and make sure pets, children and others are well away from the area being mown.

Store garden chemicals indoors away from pets and children. Discard outdated ones at local chemical collection events. Photograph storm damage before clearing or repairing for insurance claims and file promptly. Anytime you are outside and the temperatures are about 50°F or warmer watch for tick bites. Use an insect repellent containing Deet on the skin. Apply a permethrin product to clothing. Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves, hats and long pants when working in the garden. Stay hydrated. Drink water or other non-caffeinated, nonalcoholic beverages. Even in cold weather, apply sunscreen, wear hats and limit exposure to sun. Wear closed-toe shoes and gloves; use eye protection; and use ear protection when using any loud power tools.