What can I do in my yard and garden now that it's the end of October?

[Anonymous]

I've been pretty overwhelmed with life with a todder and working full time, so my lawn and garden beds (including a large vegetable garden) are totally neglected. I finally spent some time raking some of the garden beds this weekend just to get the many inches of newly fallen leaves out of them, and I'm not sure what to do now.

We did grow a bit in the veggie garden this year, but we're total newbies to that. We didn't do anything to our garden beds around the yard at all -- we didn't even mulch them. They have lots of different bushes (I can't even identify most). Our lawn is in sad shape - it's mostly crabgrass (I think that's what it's called).

Is it too late to aerate and seed the lawn? (I think that's what we're supposed to do in fall?)

Is it worth trying to fertilize and mulch any of the garden beds before the first frost?

Is there still time to plant any bulbs for next year? I love tulips like crazy.

[Anonymous]

I'd still plant some bulbs, if you want.

[Anonymous]

So it's not useful to mulch? What do I do with the things that have died...do I cut them back?

[Anonymous]

Mulching in the fall is best. So yes, it is worth it to mulch.

[Anonymous]

You never need to "aerate" a lawn. Proven to do nothing. Just a way for lawn companies to charge for something.

[Anonymous]

Put out some big colorful pumpkins and gourds in the low foliage, then watch the squirrels come to the yard to eat them!! You can take the toddler to the garden center to choose the gourds.