Here’s September, part summer, part autumn.

It’s a month of dahlias and Japanese anemones, Montauk daisies, chrysanthemums and asters. Apples and pears are ripening. Summer squash (including zucchini) are still setting fruit.

Tomatoes don’t know when to stop; often the gardener must make them. (After all, one can fry only so many green tomatoes and cook up so much India relish.)

For a grower, August 24 is the first day to behead tomato plants, including the buds and flowers. The seasoned gardener knows that removing the top tier of blossoms prompts the plant to ripen before frost.

Labor Day week reminds a grower of indoor plants to bring in the ones that spent the summer outside. They may be a bit shaggy after their vacation. Clean off their pots and check for insect life. Gently wash smooth-leaved plants with mild soap and water, rinsing well. Soak, then stand in a sink or tub to drain.

Do any need repotting? Now’s the time. Trim and shape any that need it, using sharp shears or knives. Wash the windows before settling the plants into clean, bright spaces: on saucers, in planter boxes or pretty cache-pots.

House plants with fuzzy foliage or that are too tender to go outside, need attention at the same time. A small, soft paint brush instead of soap and water is better for African violet or streptocarpus leaves.

Although autumn still seems far away, house plants don’t like changes in temperature and humidity which happen when they come into a house. Moving them indoors now, when doors and windows are opening and closing with September’s changeable temperatures, makes for an easier transition and the plants will more easily adjust to their winter surroundings.

New England’s best season may well be fall. Enjoy it.