Fall is a feast for the eyes with red, gold and bronze hues. While enjoying the trees in their tawny splendour, consider these simple tips to prepare your garden for the upcoming winter.

Grass
Although a carpet of leaves is part of autumn's glory, don't let them sit too long. Rake them frequently as grass needs oxygen and sunlight for proper growth. This is also the time to seed your grass for a thick lush lawn in the spring, and to keep pesky weeds out.

Leaves
Put leaves to work! Small leaves from birch, beech and silver maple trees (or shredded larger leaves) spread under shrubs and over soil will degrade into mineral nutrients and worms will turn them into fertilizer.

Pruning/Re-arranging Plants
Pruning in the fall is important. With leaves cleared you have a better view of your plants. Cut off dead and diseased branches. Remove diseased leaves from under roses (blackspot) and dispose of in the garbage (not your compost heap) or they'll re-infect plants the following spring. If you decide to re-arrange plants or shrubs, move them while the earth is still warm so that the roots can take hold. Protect delicate shrubs with burlap.

Bulbs
If you want to see crocus, tulips and daffodils peeping through the soil in spring, now is the time to start planting. Buy the very best quality bulbs and you will be rewarded with showy blooms in the spring. Check with a local horticulturalist for native bulb options and ideal planting conditions.

Container Gardening
Fill your balcony or patio containers with fall flowers. Picture a pot filled with Vanilla Butterfly (marguerite daisy), with a background of Orange Sedge - this olive green grass turns orange in cool weather, finally fading to bronze. Want an instant conversation piece? Plant ornamental Kale (winter cabbage) in your container: its quirky look is an attention-getter.

Every season has its beauty, but a Canadian fall is spectacular - enjoy!

Gearing up for back to school can be a bit overwhelming; there is a lot to do, a lot of transitions to navigate, and often a sense of blues as the realization that summer has, once again, gone by too fast. However, you can easily turn back to school anxieties into positive anticipation for a great school year with the following action plan. Plug these items into your calendar right now and see what a difference they can make!

 Stick to a “school” bedtime schedule. This will ensure proper rest and encourages a positive attitude towards school.

 Create a place for everything, so everything will be in its place. Designate one basket for each child to store his shoes, book bags, and jackets. Give each child a container filled with standard homework supplies that can be transported from, for example, the kitchen to the computer room. Finally, establish a place for each child to store extra papers from school – a section of your file cabinet or designated box under his/her bed.

 Keep your school supplies minimal and simple. Fancy folders and notebooks are bulky and hard for students to use. The best system to use is a one inch binder with a plastic folder for each class, keeping all folders in one place.

 Set goals with your children. Help your children look forward to the school year by having each person (including you) share at least two goals for the school year: one academic goal and one “fun” goal.

 Have a “Sunday Night Meeting” every week! Each member of the family should grab their planners/calendars for a 10-15 minute “meeting”. Ask your children what they have scheduled for the week (such as sports practices), share your plans for the week (children like to know what to expect, so tell them if you will have a late night at the office or will have to attend a meeting at school), arrange rides home from after school activities, etc. Your week will be much less chaotic because everyone will be on the same page!

 Establish a routine for papers that need your attention. Purchase magnetic clips for each child and post them on the refrigerator. Have your children clip papers here that you need to fill out, sign, etc.

 Get ready for school at night, before you go to bed. Avoid chaotic mornings and forgotten school supplies by having everyone pack up their homework, book bags, lunch/lunch money, etc. before they go to bed. They should also set out their clothes, shoes and jacket at night, too.

 Is everyone using their school planners? All students need to use a homework planner! Check planners every night until they are a part of everyone’s routine.

 Clean out book bags once a week. Cluttered book bags are the root cause of lost assignments and must be cleaned out regularly. (The Sunday Night Meeting is a good time to do this).

 The more you can give your children choices, the more cooperation you will get from them, especially when doing homework. Some choices may include giving two options for dinner or two different times to do their homework. When you give choices – and honour their choices – your children feel empowered and will be much more cooperative.

 Catch your children being good! Improve cooperation by giving compliments to your children. Keep them specific and succinct (most children are embarrassed by mushy-gushy compliments). For example, “Thank you for coming home and starting your homework right away. I appreciate that”. Positive praise works wonders!

Good luck and have a healthy, safe school year!

Your dream is not big enough if it doesn't scare you.
Matthias Schmelz

We do not remember days; we remember moments.
Cesare Pavese The Burning Brand

There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.
John F. Kennedy

If you're sitting out there now with a nice, neat little outline for the next ten years, you'd better be careful. Life may have other plans. Life will present you with unexpected opportunities, and it will be up to you to take a chance, to be bold, to have faith and go for it.
John Grisham

More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men then has ever been taken from the earth.
Napoleon Hill