When I look around the yard, I see so many projects that never happened, so many outdoor plans that were put aside for another year.

The good thing is – there will be another year; I have another chance. The bad thing is – all these unfinished or “unbegun” projects will be looming over my head and taking up space on my many lists of things to do.

This year, we had to paint the exterior of our house. And there are only a certain number of dry, not-too-cold, weekend days. So other projects intended for this fall have suffered while our house has been protected.

Am I the only one who struggles with this problem? Surely not, although sometimes it feels that way. But there are things to do now – little things, manageable things – that will expedite next spring’s garden chores and beautify next spring’s landscape. So here’s a list of what I’ll be trying to get done in the next few weeks.

1. Finish cleaning up the garden beds. It’s too early to mulch for winter protection, but now is the time to clip back and add any plant material that’s free of disease to the compost pile. Any waste that showed signs of disease should be disposed of or burned.

2. Plant spring-blooming bulbs. If it’s hard to get motivated to plant those mutant onion-looking things, forget the way they look now and just picture those colorful harbingers of spring as they’ll look in next year’s garden.

3. Dig and bring in herbs for winter use. Some will fare better if you take cuttings and propagate.

4. Dig and store tender bulbs, tubers, corms and rhizomes for planting next spring.

5. If you plan on new garden beds, consider covering the space with newspapers, compost and composted manure this fall. By spring, any grass will be killed and working the new beds will be practically effortless.

6. Have your soil tested now and amend as needed.

7. If you have time in your schedule for physical-labor-intensive projects, fall’s cooler weather is an ideal time to carry them out. Building raised vegetable beds, laying a new brick walkway, or cutting stone or wood tie steps into the side of a slope are all good for a fall workday.

8. Clean up your garden tools. Remove any dirt and wipe with an oil-soaked rag. An alternative is to keep a bucket of sand mixed with about a quart of oil in your shed or garage. That way, you can dip your tools in the mixture after each use to both clean and oil them.

I hope this list helps some of you. I know when I stay up on garden chores, I feel better and my garden certainly fares better.

On another note, how do you satisfy your gardening appetite in the winter? Do you devour garden books and magazines in front of a roaring fire, hot cocoa at your elbow? Do you fill your home with houseplants or start seeds extra early? Maybe you cultivate herbs on your kitchen windowsill?

Whatever you do to get your garden fix, I’d love to hear from you. Maybe we can all help each other survive the snow and cold until we can garden outdoors once again.