What you need to know before first frost Tuesday night

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The falling foliage and pitter-patter of rain in puddles are signs the colder half of fall is here. If you haven't dug out your coats and covered your vegetable garden, the first frost may prove even more bitter.

"Now's the time to bring (plants) in. The first frost is not going to be kind to your houseplants," said Susan White who owns City Planter in Northern Liberties. She and her staff are getting ready for winter.

"It's safe to cut back all of the dead foliage you see so that when the plants come back in the spring, they'll be nice and healthy," said White.

It's a task the team would normally start a few weeks ago, but a warm October has helped delay the work. Now, the cold is setting in.

"It's finally that time of year. Get the Uggs out, get the heavy coats, temperatures are going down even in the daytime," said Action News Meteorologist Karen Rogers. She says the first frost in the city is usually around October 30.

"It's not that it's such a great departure from average, it's just that it's been so mild, it feels like a shock to the system. October was the third warmest on record," she said.

There are a few things you need to do before the first frost. One big one: turn off your hose hookups because if they freeze, they could crack your water lines.

"You definitely don't want to have to dig up your waterlines in the spring," said White.

Take it from an expert like White, while it is time to winterize, there's still one type of plant ready to thrive.

"You can fill your windows and boxes with evergreen cuttings and have a lovely display that will be beautiful up until spring," said White.