no more raking

Philip Dwyer says, "No" to raking. See his fall tip for dealing with leaves on your yard.

it's fall - so what

This is the time to divide and transplant hostas, daylilies and other perennials.

Plant winter-hardy bulbs before the ground freezes in late November. This is also the time to fertilize bulbs.

After the first hard frost, cut back perennials and promptly remove leaves, weeds and other landscape debris from planting areas to avoid giving plant disease a place to start.

Lightly rake over mulch in landscape beds to allow water to better penetrate, and top dress your perennial beds with mulched leaves.

It's important that trees and shrubs get adequate moisture in fall to get a good start next spring. Monitor soil moisture levels through December, and keep watering trees and shrubs as needed.