I hate to say it, but winter is fast approaching. This is a good time to do a reassessment of your garden and yard. Write down what worked, what didn't, what to do in a different way next year, etc.

Those of you with deciduous trees will be busy raking leaves. I envy you as my yard - as well as the surrounding neighbors - features pine trees. And a lot of them. We get falling needles almost daily, especially when the wind blows a bit. Good thing they're at least good for mulching. Otherwise, they'd be an even worse pain. Because of this, during the summer, my patio gets cleaned more often than my living room.

Speaking of leaves, once they fall you can prune your trees and shrubs. The exceptions are those who bloom in spring, such as lilacs. Pruning now will take off the flower buds. Wait until after they bloom to prune them back.

Be sure to leave the roses on your shrubs now. Once the petals fall, the hips will develop. These are instrumental in telling the plant to get ready for winter. Hybrid tea roses are not very cold tolerant. These have grafted on root stocks which are hardy, but the tops are not. Wait until the ground freezes ... after a couple killing frosts, then mulch each plant with a thick layer of pine needles or leaves. Don't do this too early and don't put the mulch right up to the trunk as that gives mice nice nests where they can chew on the stems over winter.

If those bulbs you bought are still sitting in the bag, its not too late to plant them. You can continue to do this as long as you can dig the holes.

Are you "lucky" enough to have squirrels visiting your yard? This may work out OK if you enjoy watching their antics, but ... if you want to feed the birds, good luck. Squirrels are masters at finding ways to get into the feeders. You will need to stay one step ahead of them and that's not easy.

Keep in mind that squirrels can jump 4 to 6 feet high and 8 to 10 feet across. This makes hanging a feeder a real challenge. Many people have good luck with baffles. These need to be wide and are usually round. They can be mounted either above or below the feeder, depending on where it is hung.

Another way to thwart the little varmints is to grease the pole below the feeder. You may need to try more than one idea before you find a solution that works. Trapping them and turning them loose over 5 miles away will sometimes do the trick. Unfortunately, new squirrels often move into the newly vacated territory.

I wish you good luck as getting ahead of them isn't easy.

If you haven't had your sprinkler system "blown out," now is the time. Give your trees one last soaking first. This will ensure that they go into winter well hydrated.

Those holiday cacti which have been outdoors, should have started to develop buds by now as the cool weather let them know its time. Bring them indoors to a nice cool window area and give them a dose of fertilizer. They should be off and running.

Here are a few more odd Idaho laws:

* Riding a merry go round on Sundays is considered a crime.

* It is illegal to catch fish with dynamite.

* Snakes are banned from biting humans on Sunday - except when its snowing.

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.