Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream.

—Josephine Nuese, "The Country Garden"

Spring always feels a little bit like the moment when Sleeping Beauty wakes up: everything is winter-gray and dull, then one day you look out the window and the world is suddenly alive. The reality, of course, is not actually that simple (especially for gardeners). Winter is a season of rest and quiet outdoors, but for most gardeners winter is when we take stock and plan for the coming seasons: buying supplies, ordering seeds and plants for spring delivery, starting seeds in January that won't be ready until April, cleaning and sharpening tools, and on and on.

But before the world descends into cold darkness, what should you be doing about your garden? Fall looks a little different for everyone, depending on your climate and when your last frost appears (if you have one of those), but there are definitely things to do as you feel the days becoming shorter:

• Plant any direct sow seeds that need cold to germinate—in many places, poppies fall into this category, but there are tons of seeds that like to sit through the cold of winter before they're ready to sprout.
• Fall can be a great time to plant perennials and fruit trees, if you have reasonable temps and generally have a temperate fall season without wild temperature and precipitation swings.
• Plant garlic! Garlic does best planted in the fall to overwinter and burst to life in the early spring. Plant before your first frost date, fertilize (garlic loves nitrogen), and mulch to protect it if you live in a place with very cold winters, or to keep the moisture in and temperature steady in warmer, drier climates. You can order seed garlic bulbs online (Renee's Garden, Burpee, Nichol's) or check your local nurseries.
• Be ready to protect any perennials or hardy annuals that can survive the winter. Even in places where plants should survive without your help, keep an eye on the forecasts and know what temps the plants you'd like to keep can survive. Some garden fabric or a bucket will go a long way to helping rosemary and other perennials survive a sudden dip into the teens or single digits.
• Cut down and dispose of (compost!) any dead plants, especially after your first frost hits.
• Add compost or amendments to your garden beds—time helps to break everything down and build your soil up before spring planting.
• Add a layer of mulch (wood chips, straw, etc.) to perennials or bare soil that you'd like to protect from temperature fluctuations or erosion over the winter. If you have trees that lose their leaves in the fall, rake them up. They make great mulch!
• Collect your tools (you'll be surprised what you've dropped, set down, or otherwise forgotten about over the summer), then clean, sharpen, and store them for the winter. A light coat of mineral oil can also help prevent rust.
• Subscribe to catalogs and newsletters from your favorite seed companies and nurseries. Fall is seed harvesting season, and new products will be stocked and launched around Christmas and the New Year. Now is the time to plan, plan, plan for spring!
• Order your Sower Garden Planner for next year! There's no better way to keep track of your plans and the church calendar.