These lists are helpful. You’ll find ideas for things you can do to avoid cleaning the interior of your home.

I believe the exact right time to do something is when you’re thinking about it. Better do it quick, before you get sidetracked.

Christina, if you’re reading this now, plant some bulbs today.

When it comes to buying bulbs, the exact right time to buy is when your shopping cart is pointed directly toward the rack of bulbs.

In August I ran into my amazing friend Katie V. at Costco. We each recognized the oversized bags of colorful bulbs long before we noticed we were standing side-by-side.

Katie had her hands on an oversized bag of frou-frou tulips with multi-colored, ballerina skirt petals. To plant all the bulbs in that bag, she would have needed to buy a house with a bigger yard.

I was daydreaming about fragrant freesias in red and yellow. Katie and I soon came up with a plan to each buy one bag, then meet up later for a bulb swap.

More than a month passed before I stopped by her house, while she was gone, snatched half my bag from the front porch and left half of my bag in exchange.

This week I arrived at Katie’s house for a party. Of course, I was a day early, which means I was pleased to see what her house looks like before she cleans for a party. I couldn’t help but notice she had only planted a few of her bulbs.

Bags of unplanted bulbs are also sitting near my own front door.

WHEN IS TOO LATE?

I’ve heard that the best time to plant bulbs is around Thanksgiving. The weather isn’t terrible, and you’re not pressed with the winter holiday hustle to buy, wrap and deliver gifts. However, I’ve planted bulbs as late as December and they have bloomed just fine.

My final projects for my college semester are due the first few weeks of December, so I’ll be lucky to plop my bulbs into soil before the New Year.

SOME TIPS

My cat disappeared in July and the gophers took about 20 minutes before reclaiming the territory that was once my yard. Tulips are among the favorite snacks of gophers. For that reason, the frilly tulips in my possession will need to be planted in pots.

Marin Master Gardeners recommends prechilling bulbs for 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator. Be careful to keep them segregated from fruit, which puts out ethylene gas, which will spoil your bulbs. If you’re buying now, shop for bulbs that have already been prechilled.

As for my stash, I’m hoping it’s been cold enough near my front door for my bulbs to know it’s time to grow. My experience is that tulips do not bloom the second year in this climate. I’ve tried digging them up, storing them for a year, chilling tulip bulbs in the refrigerator, then planting again. Nowadays I buy a new bag of bulbs.

Daffodils, on the other hand, have returned again and again, and even survived neglect during the drought years.

As for the freesias, I’ve planted these in just about every season and had excellent luck. They can also be forced indoors at odd times of the year. The University of California Cooperative Extension recommends planting freesia September through November.

If you haven’t grown freesias, give yourself a little treat. The flowers are long-lasting in pots and make the walk to your doorway an olfactory treat. I have found them blooming in pots when I had long forgotten placing the freesia bulbs.

Hyacinths are also among my favorites for fragrance. I hope some that I planted last year will bloom again this spring.

My fingernails have been dirty for decades and I’ve planted many other bulbs including those giant purple globes, crocus, muscari, anemone, ranunculus … They’re all lovely. I just did not bump into bags of those bulbs this year.

Follow garden enthusiast Heather Hacking on Twitter. For email: sowtheregardencolumn@gmail.com, and snail mail, P.O. Box 5166, Chico CA 95927.

Last weekend I had coffee with a new friend. She arrived at the table with a handful of perfectly smooth, uniformly flat, yellow ginkgo leaves. The miniature fall bouquet was the type of thing I would glue to a strip of paper and cover in Mod Podge, if I was 6 years old. Actually, I made decoupage bookmarks as holiday gifts three years ago, and they looked like they were made by a 6-year-old.

As much as we might try to capture the beauty of fall leaves, they are a lot like dragonflies. Without the help of a gentle wind and the reflection of the light, leaves just aren’t as lovely without animation.

Mark Carlson called a few weeks ago to remind me not to miss his autumn dogwood trees before they fade. I visited his backyard last spring when the backyard was bursting with dogwood blooms of white and pink. Back then he boasted that the colors in fall would be equally vibrant.

Mark’s a bit batty about his dogwoods. Everyone is allowed their passions, and if your passion includes a particular plant, more is apparently better.

His backyard is mostly lined with the deciduous beauties, which do well under a canopy of taller trees. Right now, the tips of his dogwood leaves are a burnt red, with green at the stems and along the stems. Red berries, the color of nandina, hang in clusters.

My guess is that the birds love the berries because dogwood trees are growing up and down Mark’s entire street. It may not have been intentional, but it looks like he shared his dogwood joy.

The urgency of my visit was because Mark and his wife did not want me to miss anything this year. You see, dogwoods create color just a bit sooner than the other trees we love this time of year. When I drove toward his house, I saw Chinese pistache trees, with swirls of muted sherbet colors. Yet, those Chinese pistache will glow even more brightly as time passes.

When I cruise toward my house along The Esplanade, the ginkgo biloba are just nearing their prime, and will soon be so yellow they’ll rival McDonald’s golden arches.

By then, Mark’s dogwoods will be a memory.

Dogwoods are even more astounding if the weather provides a few solid chilly nights, Mark explained, as hummingbirds dive-bombed past his head toward the outdoor bird feeder.

Mark’s wife also pointed out quail that were waddling along the couple’s wooden fence.

WHY LEAVES CHANGE

I’m convinced that trees change color so that each season has something beautiful for humans to appreciate. However, there’s also some science involved. As the nights continue to get longer, the cells near the leaf and the stem begin to divide and cause what is known as an “abscission layer.” This layer blocks the tree from sending carbohydrates to the leaves, the United States National Arboretum reports in a lengthy article about science and trees. As the production of chlorophyll slows, the green pigment fades, and the other colors have their chance to shine, albeit briefly.

Around here, that means our evening walks look like strolling through a watercolor painting. As with every year, we never know how long the show will last. Last time I checked, rain is predicted for today and possibly this weekend. More storms will follow. If you’re planning a Mod Podge project, take a puddle-stomping walk this weekend to gather supplies.

Follow garden enthusiast Heather Hacking on Facebook and Twitter. To send snail mail, P.O. Box 5166, Chico CA 95927.