Locals, frost warning — it’ll be cold tonight, and Sunday night, dropping to a low of 27F.
• if you’re planning to plant anything still, now is the time (they’ll still need watering, so plan for that)
• if you still have tropicals outside, bring them in
• unhook all hoses and drain outdoor faucets — water in the faucets will make them more likely to crack over the winter
• once it rains and freezes, iced-over leaves are a slip-and-fall hazard, so even if you’re leaving the leaves (which I recommend — it’ll save you a lot of money in the long run, and is better for your garden and the pollinators), do rake your sidewalks and pathways clear — just rake the leaves into the beds, where they’ll also insulate perennials. Unless you have a very heavy leaf layer, you can even leave them on the grass.
• if you’re digging dahlias (or other tender plants), they’ll go black after the frost, so that’s your sign to dig them up (but I think there’s no reason not to dig them up a little earlier).
