Hard as it is to believe, we've about come to another end to a growing season. I hate to say it but we know that the first frost can't be far off. Yikes!

Make yourself a to-do list of all those chores you need to do by the end of the month. This will come in handy when you have a few minutes.

Hopefully you've decided what things you need to get planted such as bulbs. You'll be glad you got this done when you're looking out your window next spring.

Now is the time to give that lawn its final fertilizer for this year. That will give it a good start next spring. This is also a good time to make those lawn repairs as grass seed responds well to these cool fall days.

Be sure to take cuttings of any coleus you want to save. It's easy to cut off some stems, drop them into a jar of water and place it near a window for rooting. Once these get to be about an inch long they can go into some potting soil until spring. I've kept starts of my favorites for years.

I hope you have some perennials that are still in bloom. I have several. The most prolific right now are the phlox plants. I have them in five different colors. Besides being pretty, they smell something like lilacs. Hard to beat that!

Here's a reminder about those dahlias. They are very sensitive to frost and will succumb to the first cold night. Once that happens, you'll need to dig up the tubers if you want to save them. Clean them off and put them into a box of shredded paper or kitty litter. Keep them in a frost-free location such as your garage for the winter.

It's sad to say it, but it now is the time to wish the hummingbirds goodbye. Their average departure date in our area is around Sept. 15. The Calliope variety is our most common one and is the smallest hummer to migrate all the way to South America. They'll be back next April.

That's about it for today. I'm sure there are more chores and hints. There always are. Gardening may be a lot of work but it's good for you and it keeps you out of the bars!

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Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column has appeared in The Press every other Sunday from early March until late October for the past 16 years.