The nights are darker earlier, the cooler weather has arrived, and leaves have decorated the lawns. Fall has finally arrived! But if you have a green thumb, that doesn’t mean you have to put the garden equipment away. Fall is a great season to work on the garden for next spring. Here’s what you need to know about fall landscaping – DIY or with the pros!
Landscaping doesn’t have to stop
There’s a common misconception that you can’t do any landscaping in the fall because there’s no point. The weather is getting cool anyway. What’s that going to do? But rather than thinking about growing and primping your lawn for today, think about the future. Here are a few things to keep in mind this season:
- Keep watering your plants. They’re still alive, right? Why would you just let them die alone? Giving them a healthy abundance of water now will help the plants survive the upcoming winter season.
- Don’t forget to mulch. Think of mulch as a protective, warming blanket for your plants. They need lots of protection from the cold winter, plus an excess of moisture to keep them alive outside.
- Put your dinner leftovers to good use. After all, they make a really great compost. Composting is good for the ground and homemade is always best.
- Cover your plants. You shouldn’t have to plant new shrubs every year. Before the winter weather hits, wrap up your plants with burlap and attach the strings to a stake to ensure the plant doesn’t fall apart when the cold weather finally arrives.
Why landscape in the fall, anyway?
There are many benefits to spending your fall season doing some landscape work alongside a landscaping contractor. For starters, the earlier you plan ahead, the better your landscaping and lawn will look in the spring. Not only that, but your attentiveness will pay off in the long run. Here’s why:
- You’ll have plenty of time. Forget about doing the landscaping. Just planning what your yard will look like takes time. That’s why we recommend hiring a landscape design expert this season to begin planning for next year. This way, you have tons of time to work on a layout and ultimately decide what you want your new space to look like. Plus, you’ll want to secure an expert early. Their schedule will fill up fast in the spring season and you might be left high and dry!
- Start early, save money. Let’s be real – who doesn’t want to save money at the end of the day? Since the fall season is typically slower for contractors, they’ll offer their designs and sketches at discounted prices.
- Save up money for what you want. Saving money is a beautiful thing. You won’t have to buy those new plants or shrubs just yet, so you’ll have all winter to save up money. This way, you can get what you really want instead of settling for what’s in your budget now. Of course, we recommend you stick to a fixed budget, but since time is on your side, you’ll have that time to save up!
Start planting now!
Why put off what you can do today? I don’t know about you, but I love to get ahead. Except, how can you do that with planting? Won’t the cool weather kill flower and vegetable seeds? According to my research, there are certain plants and seeds that need to be harvested in the fall season in order for them to bloom in the spring and summer seasons.
These plants must lay dormant for several months and actually need the cool weather so they can acclimate before blooming. Plant any of the above for a blooming garden in the spring:
- Daffodils;
- Crown imperials;
- Allium;
- Tulips.
Did you know you can also plant vegetables? Broccoli, cabbage and Swiss chard need time to harvest as well.
Work on this outdoor project now and you won’t have to do as much work next year!
Don’t make these gardening mistakes!
Truth time – I didn’t know some of these were even mistakes! But I’ve learned a lot when it comes to gardening and fall landscaping. I better get outside and rake up those falling leaves! Otherwise, they could cause a tripping hazard in case the leaves are covering something. They can also prevent my lawn from being as green and vibrant as it could since the leaves don’t let the lawn breathe.
Here’s what else you should NOT do:
- Forget to do routine pool maintenance and close it up for the winter season;
- Forget to fertilize the lawn;
- Forget to hire a landscape lighting expert.
All of these pieces are necessary to create a healthy and vibrant yard.
Need some help? Don’t forget to consult our directory for landscaping contractors and a laundry list of home improvement experts that can help make your home the best it can be.
So, what fall landscaping job do you plan to tackle this season? We’d love to hear from you! Be sure to visit our Facebook page to engage in conversation with us!
Stay tuned next month as I become an expert in another aspect of home renovations: kitchen designing!
