Do you envy the way your neighbor’s garden looks in late summer? By following these simple maintenance tips, you can help ensure your garden looks and grows its best. And if you live in a cooler climate, adjust the gardening calendar accordingly; the tasks will be the same.

• Clean garden tools before putting them away. Rub oil or navel jelly on tools with steel or metal areas to remove rust and other deposits.
  
  
• Bulbs, often available at reduced prices by this time, can still be planted as long as the ground can be worked. Even if the ground can’t be worked, bulbs can still be planted in pots for indoor forcing.
  
  
• Now is a good time to make notes of any future changes you might like to make in your landscape plan. Let the details of new paths and beds simmer in your mind over winter and work them out on paper whenever you get the urge.
  
  
• Take advantage of the few nice days left by cleaning up the garden and composting any dead plant debris.
  
  
• In cold climates, tie rose canes together with twine or cord to prevent them from whipping around in the winter wind. Pile 12 inches of additional soil or compost around the base of rose bushes to protect the bud union from winter injury.