Make more of them. Seriously. You will fill them up.

Yes, George, make more beds or enlarge what you already have. Don't have to dig up the lawn, just cover it with cardboards and/or sheets of newspaper, wet them down, pile any organic materials on top. This is the best time to make use of those fallen leaves, straws, etc. Go check the Soil, Compost, Mulch forum for ideas on organic materials. You won't have to scramble to find a spot for your plants next spring. :-)

I guess we should have been more precise. Pitimpinai points out some great methods of madness to create more garden areas which you will definitely need come the spring.

In the last few years I have used the lasagna method but this year I've decided to do something else which worked for me a couple of years ago. Where I wish to have a new area for gardening come the spring is where I will compost this winter. One area has already been covered in the last two weeks. It is 4 to 5 feet wide and about 15 feet long. A compost pile 3 feet deep sits on top of this area right now and is steaming at 140F with the help of shredded leaves, grass clippings, seaweed, and used coffee grounds. YUM!!

In the spring, this compost will be removed to amend established beds, mulch shrubs, etc. A bit will be left for winter sown goodies to be planted.

And yes, George, the obvious stuff too like adding compost and mulches too. I finished spreading my finished compost yesterday and topped that bed with grass clippings and shredded leaves. I do this to all beds in fall as I get them cleared out.

Come spring, you'll be too busy planting out seedlings to spend time amending soil and cleaning up beds. You will be happy to have them ready for planting.

Karen

Thanks everyone that clarifies things for me. I guess for an urban gardener like me (who only has a few beds by the patio) this translates to getting new containers ready too.
Great advice. Many thanks
George