Check your home and garden maintenance checklist to ensure that autumn colors are well-prepared.

Even though the lawn is often neglected in the fall, it is the ideal time to organize everything before winter sets in. Paul James hosts HGTV’s “The Lawn” “Gardening by the Yard,”The advice to homeowners is to get started early, approximately six weeks prior the first good freeze.

Here’s a list of tasks and other items you can add to your task list. fall checklistThis year:

* Maintain the landscape. Maintain the landscape, including lawns, flowerbeds and bushes. Take out any unsightly leaves, dead stems, piles or other debris. Use a rake to sift the mulch. This will allow water to seep into subsoil.

* Plant fall vegetables. You can grow cool-season vegetables with the right plants: lettuce, greens and carrots, turnips, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips and many more. Imagine the delicious soups, stews, and other dishes you could create from scratch.

* Keep muscles relaxed, and stay hydrated. Do not underestimate the power of the autumn sun. Even though summer is over, hours spent gardening in the sun can leave you feeling tired, strained, and parched. Make sure to drink lots of fluids, have breaks and stretch your muscles. Absorbine Jr. can be used to relieve muscle strains or backaches.www.absorbinejr.com( Absorbine Jr. is a natural menthol that helps to relieve back and muscle pain. It’s a must-have item for any yard work. The herbal ingredients in Absorbine Jr. provide relief for sunburn, gnat and other insect bites.

* Make room for indoor plants. You can’t keep your container or potted plants outside in winter, so make sure you have enough space indoors to grow tropical plants, herbs, succulents, and other plants. After trimming the roots and some top growth, potted perennials may be transplanted in a garden.

* Clean garage, shed or outbuildings. If you have a tidy storage area, you can easily store all of your summer equipment and patio furniture. Your newly empty planters will be able to find a place next to all the stuff that families accumulate.