This is Jim. He’s married, he’s got two kids, a dog, a cat and a mortgage. And every summer, he gives himself a project: making his yard look its best.
He’s got all the latest equipment, knows the folks at his local landscape supply store by name and cheerfully wears one of those “I Fought the Lawn…and the Lawn Won” t-shirts.
But then autumn comes and Jim feels a bit lost. He’s like a sailor who only feels truly at home when he’s out at sea.
Are you like Jim? Do you feel uninspired by your landscaping once summer is done? It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few fall landscape ideas that can bring new life to your yard this season.
1. Embracing autumn’s beauty
These next few weeks will transform your trees from green to vivid shades of orange, red and gold. It’s something that immediately gives your property extra curb appeal. But it also means keeping up with lawn maintenance, from raking leaves to patching brown spots that may have formed on the grass.
2. Fall is for planting
Next on our list of fall landscape ideas: start planting. This season can be about planting as well as harvesting. Spring and summer might have given you a bounty of fresh vegetables and lovely blooms, but autumn offers you a wealth of gardening options.
Mums, pansies, and asters are all popular this time of year. They’re perennial flowers, which mean they’ll bloom again each year.
If you’re more inclined to grow vegetables, fall offers you several options, including leafy greens like kale, spinach and cabbage, as well as broccoli and cauliflower.
3. Light up your landscape
The days are getting shorter, making it more and more important to provide you, your loved ones and any visitors with a clear path around your property.
Decorative landscape lighting can not only make your walkways safer, it gives you a chance to show off your property day and night. And this lighting doesn’t have to come in the form of glaring floodlights. Your local hardscaping company can set you up with things like underwall, path or accent lighting.
4. Make the most of your mulch
This next entry on our list of fall landscape ideas may not be as flashy as the first three, but it’s still valuable to your lawn and garden.
By turning your mulch – fluffing it up and spreading it around plants, trees and flowerbeds — you’ll ensure the landscape gets the moisture it needs and prevent frost damage to plant/tree roots.
Use higher-quality mulch. The free mulch your town offers might be made from trees that have lingering illnesses. Shredded hardwood mulch from a garden center or landscape supply store will cost more but will yield better results.
5. Take care of your walkways and driveway
Finally, you’ll want to spend some time sprucing up your driveway and walkways. Autumn is a good time to seal cracks in the asphalt and concrete and apply sealants, which can prevent the damage that occurs during the freeze/thaw/freeze cycle of winter and early spring.
No matter what sort of fall landscaping work you’ll undertake over the next few weeks, Woodward Landscape Supply can help. We carry everything from hardscaping materials to mulch to soil and have experts on staff who can advise you on the best ways to give your property a new look this season. Contact us today to learn more.