Fall landscaping is all about:
- Getting the home ready to handle the winter (stocking up on bulk salt on other snow removal products)
- Making sure it looks great for the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner)
- Ongoing lawn, landscaping and curb appeal maintenance
If you aren’t careful, you can focus on one aspect of fall landscaping and completely forget about another.
Our latest installment in our “From the Pros” series looks at the landscaping mistakes contractors don’t make during the fall – and you shouldn’t make either.
Take care of your hardscaping
The pros break down landscaping into two categories:
- Soft: The living part of your outdoor living space (grass, flowers, plants, etc.)
- Hard: Installations that prevent the absorption of water (interlocking patio stones, natural stone, driveways, etc.)
Keeping your hardscaping clean and free of debris by power washing them throughout the fall can will make certain they remain safe, functional and beautiful.
Fallen leaves may look good, but they still need raking
If you live in a home that’s surrounded by mature and older trees, you may love the look of falling autumn leaves on the ground.
The pros know that, even though fallen leaves look nice, they can be dangerous if not raked on a regular basis.
Leaves on the ground can:
- Hide potholes or cracks in sidewalks or walkways
- Get wet and become very slippery
Make sure you enjoy the look of fallen leaves. But only for a little while.
Then, pull out the rake on a weekly basis during the fall to avoid any possible problems.
Keep fertilizing the lawn
In the fall, your grass doesn’t grow at the same speed as it does in the summer.
Still, your lawn needs regular upkeep like:
- Grass cutting
- Fertilizing
- Weeding
A fall lawn that’s fertilized regularly will be stronger can better withstand damage from the upcoming cold, wind, sleet and snow.
Now’s the time to paint your home’s exterior
Landscaping isn’t just limited to plants, ground cover or mulch.
The colour of your home can play a big role in improving curb appeal and appearance. This is especially true if you want your home to blend beautifully with the natural colours of the falling leaves.
Autumn is the ideal time to give your home’s exterior some TLC by:
- A completely new paint job
- Retouching chipped, cracked or faded paint spots
- Repairing the home’s siding before beginning your paint job
Plant your spring bulbs now for colourful blooms next spring
The pros know that the fall is the best time to think about spring flowers.
Visit your local landscape supplier to find out the best bulbs to plant now while the topsoil is still soft (because it’s impossible to plant in frozen dirt).
Planting in the fall now will lead to a beautiful garden in the spring (and less work for you too).
Lay down more mulch
There’s a few reasons to put down fresh mulch or aggregates in the fall:
- Keeps nutrients in the topsoil during the cold months
- Ensures your topsoil is warm in the winter
- Adds a splash of colour to your outdoor living spaces
The pros know that fall is the perfect time to lay down one last layer of mulch for the year because it’s still warm enough that you can move it and manipulate it just the way they like it.
Otherwise, laying down mulch when the ground is completely frozen just won’t be as effective.
Get your home ready for fall with Lane’s Landscaping
The pros at Lane’s aren’t just experienced landscape contractors or professionals.
We’re homeowners too. And we want our personal properties to look just as beautiful as yours.
Whatever you want to accomplish this fall, we have the products and experience to help you do it.
Contact us to:
