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Got begonias, fuschia and geraniums still growing in containers on your back porch? Now is the time to bring these tender annuals indoors to overwinter.

Color outside of the lines when it comes to fall decorations this season. Instead of just traditional orange pumpkins and yellow hardy mums, get inspired by some of the pastel-colored blue and pink pumpkins, winter squash and gourds then pair them up with bright mums and fall greenery.

Planting some low-growing grasses can add movement and color to your yard and garden. These plants can also be planted in places where you might have traditionally chosen to lay down a layer of mulch.

Certain vegetable plants, if left to bolt or go to seed, will self-sow and grow again next spring. You won't have to buy new seed and replant, which saves money. Plus, by letting the plants self-sow and regrow naturally, you're spending less time guessing when to plant.

This flower's name contains a clue to what kind of growing conditions it likes: hydrangeas love water! And this summer's wetter weather really made these bushes blossom and bloom. Right now, blue, pink and white hydrangeas are really thriving. Enjoy them while they are still in bloom, then learn how to preserve those petals to use in decorations this fall and winter.

Tropical fruits like persimmon and paw paw (a fruit in the cherimoya family) did well in Vermont this year and here's why: because they bloomed later in spring, the late frost didn't affect them. They also did well despite heavy rains this summer.

Choose an annual or perennial flowering vine to add color to your late summer and early fall gardens. Some will bloom right up until frost.

Common milkweed is great for attracting pollinators and especially monarch butterflies. The plants can take over a small space quickly so try some less-aggressive milkweed types that can grow in a variety of soils.

If, earlier this year, you took "no-mow May" to heart and left a portion of your lawn unmowed for bees, beetles and butterflies, you can take it a step further now! A University of Minneapolis "bee lab" studied the kinds of grasses and ground covers that grow a green lawn that benefits pollinators. And you can still mow it.

Late summer blooms like phlox and hydrangea can steal the show with their big blossoms and color. Still, it's a native perennial called helenium that really brings the bees and birds to the yard.