fall action plan

Since I learned from Bob Flowerdew that I don't have to dig my vegetable beds in the autumn, I'm working on a new checklist for "putting my garden to bed" for the winter.
1. Pull out vegetable plants and annuals.
2. Pull out little metal stakes that hold the soaker hoses in place.
3. Move hoses to the side. (This is the first time I've not rolled them up and put them in the shed - is this laziness or an example of "working smarter, not harder?"* We shall find out come spring.)
4. Rake up debris (see elucidating photo above).
5. Hoe to get any pesky weeds that have survived my eternal vigilance.
6. Rake debris up again.
7. Replace hoses in beds.
8. Cover beds with mulched leaves (I ran out of mulched leaves, so most of my beds will be bare. It feels wrong, but my mower having played out, I have fewer options than normal. Apparently taking the mower to the fix-it shop is not an option.)

I also pulled out my elephant ear bulb and have it drying out for a few days before I put it in sphagnum peat moss or garden vermiculite. But before I settle it in for it's winter storage, I'll trim the top growth.

Friend or foe? I saw several of these guys while I was cleaning my veggie beds. I left them until I could learn more.

*A phrase that I understand is used in the corporate setting and which must be a number one contributor to work-place dissatisfaction and stress-related heart disease.