As summer winds down it's time to start thinking about your fall planting. Start with healthy soil which requires less water and fewer chemicals. If your soil needs a little TLC, compost and mulch may be the key.

• Add homemade compost to your soil at planting time to retain water and give nutrients to plants.
• Organic mulch—aged manure, bark chips and wood chips—cover and cool soil, minimizing evaporation, erosion and weed growth.

Once your soil is ship-shape consider planting natives. They are beautiful, drought tolerant and require fewer chemicals. Use our native plant finder for suggestions to fit your landscape. Look for upcoming fall native plant sales including Tualatin Hills Nature Park's on Saturday, October 2 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Savor summer events

It's the last month of summer, make the most of it! Check out the following events in our watershed.

• Tualatin Crawfish Festival
  Sat., August 14, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
  Tualatin Community Park
• Fanno Creek history walk
  Sat., August 14, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
  Tigard Library
• Water-wise gardening
  Sat., August 14, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  Washington County Fair Complex
• Tualatin River guided nature walk
  Sat., August 28, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
  Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge
• Bug Fest
  Sat., August 28, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Tualatin Hills Nature Park