* Don't let those beautiful annual plants fade with the season. Take 4- to 5-inch-long cuttings from coleus, begonia, Tradescantia, and others and root them in water or sterile potting mix. They make great houseplants and will even bloom in sunny winter windows.

* Apply grub controls to lawn areas that are infested with the larvae of Japanese and related beetles. To check for grubs, use a shovel and gently pull back one square foot of turf. If there are three or more grubs per square foot they will cause noticeable damage, so insecticides are required. Garden centers and nurseries have the grub controls you need.