The big fall gardening push is winding down, and we’re starting to look inward now, toward spending more time indoors in cozy warmth. However, there are still some days of beautiful weather to enjoy this month and a few more things to do in the garden before putting it to bed for the winter. Jocelyn H. Chilvers Exteriorscapes llc Winterize pots. Empty all containers of annual flowers and veggies. Remove the soil, or the top 8 to 10 inches from large pots. Spent soil and nondiseased foliage can go straight to the compost pile. I wait until the warmer days of spring to wash my pots before replanting them.

Find a dry, sheltered place to store your pots to protect them from months of freeze-thaw cycles. My storage area is the back corner of a covered patio; a shed or garage would also do the trick. I have also had luck leaving large, glazed pots right out in the garden, turned upside down and resting on a couple of scrap 2-by-4s. Great Oaks Landscape Associates Inc. Winterize the lawn mower. Continue to mow your lawn — removing no more than 1/3 of the blade at a time — as long as the grass is actively growing. After the last mowing, run your mower until the gas tank is empty. Clean the mower and sharpen the blades before storing it for the winter. Jocelyn H. Chilvers Wrap trees. Leafless young trees are particularly vulnerable to sun scald in late fall and winter. The low rays of the sun — especially when they’re reflected off snow — can damage the thin, immature bark, stressing the tree and making it more susceptible to insect and disease problems (as well as disfiguring it).

Wrapping the trunk protects immature bark from sun damage until the mature or “corky” bark forms. Be sure to use a product made specifically for this task; they're readily available at garden centers and can be stored and reused many times.

Start at the base of the tree and wrap upward in an overlapping spiral to the second tier of branches. Secure the top with duct tape. Wrap trees in late November and unwrap in early April. Jocelyn H. Chilvers Winterize tools. Well-cared-for tools will be your best gardening partners for years to come.

• Wash them with soapy water, using a scrub brush or putty knife as necessary to remove all caked-on dirt.
• Use steel wool to clean off any bits of rust.
• Rub metal surfaces with WD-40 or mineral oil.
• Rub unpainted wooden handles with linseed oil and wipe off any excess.
• Sharpen tool blades yourself or have them sharpened professionally (many garden centers and hardware stores offer this service).

Store garden tools and equipment in a safe, dry place.