The Coastal Gardener:

October and November is when autumn takes hold in Southern California. It is when our mild Mediterranean climate makes our gardens wake-up and get growing. Spring is for enjoying our gardens, but fall is for working in them.

There are so many things to do right now it’s difficult to know where to start — pruning, planting, dividing and so forth. For locals, fall may be the best time of the year to spend time in the garden. The soil is still warm, rains are near and the cooler temperatures make being in the garden even more pleasant. The golden autumn light, the clean smell of the air and the lengthening shadows make this my favorite time to work in the garden.

And there is plenty to do. Here are a few suggestions for local gardeners to tackle in the next few weeks.

Plant winter vegetables and herbs. The changing temperatures mean it’s time to surrender your tomatoes, peppers, squash and other summer plants to our cool-season specialties. Now is the time to plant leafy specialties like all types of lettuce, romaine, endive, spinach and others.

Also included are easy to grow Asian greens and gourmet choices like arugula and radicchio. Onions, garlic and chives are in season, as are all members of the cabbage family, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale. Root crops also like the shorter, cooler days and include radish, beets, turnips, carrots and even potatoes. Finally, this is the time to start snap peas, snow peas, shelling peas and fava beans.

If you’ve failed at cilantro before, try it now. It won’t wither away or go to seed instantly, like it does in the warm months of the year. Other herbs for the season include the family of anise, dill and fennel as well as borage, chervil, chamomile, chives, parsley and sorrel.

Many are new this year to growing vegetables and herbs at home. One of the most important lessons learned is to give up now on any remnant summer crops and move on. Rather than nursing a straggly end-of-season tomato or withering basil plant, take them out now and instead make room for the bounty of winter vegetable and herb offerings.