But, autumn is upon us. And the promise of new plants and new ideas in the landscape can make the thought of actually planting those plants and executing those ideas do-able. The shift into cooler weather makes it almost exciting.

Staying organized is the key here and the best way to stay organized – as any coupon queen would tell you – is to have a good idea of what you want, where you’re going to plant it and when it’s all going to happen. If you go out without a list, it’s not going to end well.

Even if you love every single one of those impulse-buy beauties, incorporating them into your landscape is going to take a lot of shuffling. By the time you’re done you’ll need the winter to sleep off your shopping hangover.

Here are a few ways of dealing with the planting season so you feel calm, make good choices and really get what you want. By all means yield to impulse every once and awhile – just don’t navigate the entire journey that way.

Critically examine your time restraints.

Are you travelling this fall? Having a new addition put on? Expecting a baby? We tend to think we’re going to have more time than we do. When we don’t, we feel inadequate and that’s not a good place to be. Instead, be truthful with yourself from the beginning using your previous experience. As a whole I am always amazed how busy things seem to get before Thanksgiving – the time I’m sure I will have in the autumn is often over before I know it. I now buy plants with that in mind.

Only take on one or two areas or beds in your garden.

Doing so concentrates your efforts and gives you a better sense of satisfaction in the end. If you’ve got beds torn up everywhere, the chances are you’re going to run out of energy and time before the cold winds begin to blow. Better that you plant or rearrange one area well than six areas poorly.

Grab some cheap stake flags and mark where things are to be moved or planted.

In the shade beds that lead up to my front door, I’ve got a lot of rearranging to do. Before I can plant ‘Morning Light’ miscanthus, I’ve got to move a ‘Bluebird’ hydrangea. Before I can move a ‘Little Honey’ hydrangea, I’ve got to evict a chindo viburnum. My mind grows ever more addled these days and I need help remembering the fabulous new design I came up with over a glass of wine last week. Sinking some brightly colored stake flags in key places keeps things straight. Their florescent tops can be marked with a Sharpie, they cost pennies per flag, and they are completely re-usable.

If you’re looking for something very specific and uncommon, plan now for a spring purchase instead.

Many of our local independent garden centers that buy-in their stock are willing to special order plants, but they need a bit of lead time, and October isn’t remotely enough. If you’ve got something specific in mind it’s a good idea to start asking around our local nurseries to order for the spring.

Get a load (or bags) of compost delivered in preparation for hole digging and/or mulching.

If you’ve got heavy soil, amending that soil with some form of organic material will increase water retention and make it a bit easier for your plants to establish themselves – though we usually only think about this when we start digging. Having it on hand makes it that much easier to do the right thing when the mood to dig strikes. A big pile of compost can also provide cover for container shrubs and trees you really shouldn’t plant in the fall in our climate but may have picked up on clearance, such as camellias or crepe myrtles.

Preparation, organization and honesty. We’re not going to be perfect, but we might as well try to make it easier on ourselves.