Lettuce, chard, spinach and parsley also make handsome companions for ornamentals. Once you get into the swing of it, you'll wonder why vegetable gardens are hidden in the back yard. Icelandic poppies look like fragile colorful goblets in flower beds, but this native of the Arctic stands tall in cold weather. And the more you pick flowers for indoor arrangements the longer the blooming period lasts. It's garden clean-up time.
Leaves go into the compost pile, twigs go into the green-waste garbage bin or the fireplace.
Doing this deprives overwintering pests and diseases of hiding places. Shop for spring-blooming bulbs. Remember, tulips are annuals in our warm valley, so daffodils are probably a better investment. Besides, gophers consider tulip bulbs as a delectable treat but won't eat daffodils. If you want fall color in the landscape, now's the time to visit nurseries and get exactly the colors you desire.