-Heather Hale, Sustainable Business Accounts Manager

The seasons here in the East Bay are definitely changing. We've had our first two heavy rains, and there's a new crispness to the air. Leaves are turning wonderful shades of red, orange, and rust, and many trees are losing their leaves altogether.

You're probably picking the last of your homegrown tomatoes, if you haven't already. But wait! If you're packing all that gardening equipment away until early next spring - and you haven't tried fall and winter gardening yet - you're missing out on six months of outdoor fun!
For starters, there are several vegetable crops that are happier in colder weather. These cold crops include kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bok choy, and many other plants. You'll find that several cold crops will bolt in the summer, whereas when grown in colder temperatures, they grow at a steady pace - and their taste is at its peak. It's not too late to start these vegetables from seed, however; nurseries still have several of these starters available.

Another part of fall gardening is planting bulbs. Some of the easiest and cheapest bulbs to grow are the Narcissus. There are several different species of Narcissus, depending on your personal aesthetics. If you plant them now, they bloom in the winter. You can plant groups of them in succession for blooms throughout the winter. You can even "force" these bulbs indoors for some extra cheeriness in the coldest part of the year; let the leaves die back, and plant the bulb outside when you're done. The best part about Narcissus is that many species of it will naturalize, which means that you only need to plant them once and they'll come back every year.

And lastly, but always most important in the garden: the soil. Some people recommend pulling up debris in the fall as a clean up, but I say leave it there. Unless you have a plant disease problem, collect as much as you can and continue to mulch. Mulching is the best thing you can do for your soil, and therefore for your plants. Also, there are several beneficial insects that need winter shelter in your garden.

Use some of that extra time you would have spent in the garden during the spring to better your compost system. National Public Radio said this week that we compost only 3% of our compostable food waste. Create a system that works well for your household, and you will be rewarded with a rich, almost magical compost mixture in the spring that is sure to feed a bountiful and beautiful garden.

Use one of the many EcoMetro Guide coupons in the Yard & Garden chapter, like Thornhill Nursery, to save on plant purchases in your neighborhood nursery.

Image credits: sa_ku_ra/Creative Commons and jam343/Creative Commons