Go native

Although many trees are losing their leaves during this time of the season, others are just taking root, especially California native plants. Planted in the fall, many native plants will soak up winter rains and establish themselves with little other maintenance, according to the Nature Conservancy. Other benefits of going native with your garden include the ability to use fallen leaves as mulch; the native garden soaking up rainwater and diverting it from local waterways; and the large number of local organizations that can help you get started for free, such as the California Native Plant Society (www.sacvalleycnps.org), and the UC Davis Arboretum (http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu).