Landscaping with Leaves: Prep Your Yard for the Autumn Season

In this blog post, we will continue our seasonal fall theme and focus specifically on home projects pertaining to landscaping and the outdoors. While it is not intuitive to think of autumn as being an ideal time to focus on gardening, there are plenty of tasks that can be accomplished to beautify your landscape while also preparing it for the coming seasons. Hopefully from our following trends and ideas, you are able to pick a few that can be employed in your home in the near future!

1. Tidy Up

Most people think about leaves when fall yard cleanup is mentioned. However, there are plenty of other jobs that can be done besides the obvious that prove equally important. Any weeds that have managed to survive prior to picking can be eliminated at this time along with any annuals that are past their life span. Once this is completed, thatch, (the buildup of organic material between the soil and grass) can be dealt with in order to ensure your lawn gets a strong start in the spring. Finally, any bald spots that have not been addressed can be treated with seed and fertilizer.

2. Compost

Now that you have a large pile of organic material collected from your yard, don’t put it in trash bags at the end of your driveway, compost it! A compost bin/pile can be added to with waste from your kitchen or with additional items you clean up from your yard. Hopefully, by the time spring arrives, organisms have had their chance to break down the substance into a nitrogen-rich fertilizer which can be returned to your yard to promote the growth of new plants.

3. Keep the Bees Happy

As any gardener will tell you, pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are a signal of a healthy garden/ecosystem. It is crucial that there are plenty of flowering plants available in order to keep these hard workers happy. In fall, and even into winter, seed for these plants, so by the time spring comes around, germination has occurred and they are well on their way to maturity. Having a portion of your garden dedicated to pollinators will only increase the strength and vitality of your yard as a whole.

4. Planting For Now and the Future

There are countless reasons for starting plants in the fall which are not always obvious. Here are some which we think are most relevant.

1. Just like we enjoy the pleasant temperature and weather of fall, so do plants. This makes fall a great time for plant replenishment. By starting in the fall and giving them time to mature a bit prior to winter hibernation, they are able to build up the resources that will be used when spring comes around.
2. Less attention and work needs to be put towards plant upkeep when planted during the fall. Compared to the spring when there can be early heat waves, heavy rains, or even late snow, in the fall there is a much smaller chance of volatile weather. Plants can pretty much be left to themselves to develop as much as possible until winter sets in.
3. Planting bulbs and plants in fall gives them a sturdy head start for spring. By establishing strong root growth and retaining nutrients, when Spring arrives, they are ready to begin explosive growth as opposed to having to start from scratch.

5. Remember Your Seasonal Plants/Decorations

While we have talked a great deal about tasks that can prepare you for the future/spring, let’s take a moment to focus on what can be done for the present moment. Planting evergreens allows you to have some green foliage that will stay vibrant throughout the year. They also add a level of diversity to your landscape and can help other plants stand out. Also, consider putting some plants that are not super resilient in pots. While they can add out-of-season elements to your yard's looks, once the weather changes, they are able to be brought indoors. Finally, nothing says fall like adding pumpkins or gourds to a fall still life to really raise the curb appeal of your home.

6. Protective Mulch

Straightforward and simple. Mulching around plants can help in multiple ways. Firstly, it will prevent weed growth that could happen fairly late into the season prior to very cold temperatures. Secondly, it will help the ground preserve the small amount of moisture needed during the colder months and insulate that moisture from freezing and killing the roots of the plants.

7. Sales at the Nursery

Like clothes going out of fashion at the end of the season, deals can be found at nurseries as the summer comes to an end. Just be cautious and inspect the plants to make sure that they seem to be healthy and well-established. If so, plant them and enjoy their growth in the spring. If they don’t seem strong enough to withstand the winter, there is nothing wrong with keeping them inside/alive for the colder months and then putting them in the ground once spring comes around.

Want more insight into how RessaBuilt can help you transform your home? Check out the informative articles on our blog, or contact us to get your own home remodeling project started.