We’re all spending quite a bit more time at home this year. It only makes sense many people are choosing to reimagine their immediate surroundings – specifically the landscape right outside their doors.
As nature now gets set to deliver us cooler fall temps, shorter days and blazing sunsets, a bounty of autumnal possibilities come rushing to the forefront. At Turf Medic, our team has spent years perfecting aesthetic techniques and wellness plans for yards of every season. Fall is no exception! Below are a few of our most popular tips for creating vibrance and harvest-time appeal on your property.
- Install blooming plants that flourish with color contrast. This includes mums, muhly grasses, and aster. Set the scene with oranges, yellows and reds. Paired together, these hues will transform your landscape into a bright showpiece for all to see.
- Plant new trees and shrubs that thrive in chillier temps. Species with fiery foliage – such as the October glory red maple – are sure to be grab attention. These leafy additions also will serve as taller focal points, bringing texture and depth to your yard.
- Prune shrubs and perennials, however, be aware that plants such as azaleas have different pruning requirements during this time of year. It’s often best to learn the individual needs of your garden. To strengthen plants for winter, apply a low nitrogen high potassium fertilizer.
- Decorate the space around your front door with natural embellishments like harvest leaves, hay bales, pumpkins, potted flowers (mums), and scarecrows. Oftentimes, the hardest part of sprucing up the entrance to a home is practicing restraint! Remember to keep it simple, inviting and functional.
- Add some landscape lighting to the exterior of your home. This not only serves as a great-looking backdrop to your yard, but it also prolongs time spent outside, allowing you to illuminate nights on the patio with family.
- Set up a fire pit in the backyard. This will serve as the perfect fall and winter gathering space for toasting marshmallows, telling ghost stories, or sipping cider cocktails with friends.
- Keep up with regular maintenance. It might seem obvious, but general yard care tends to get overlooked as the days get shorter. Making sure your lawn and beds remain clear of leaves makes a huge aesthetic difference and helps minimize attracting pests. At the same time, cleaning debris from gutters and drain caps allows better drainage, reducing the risk of water damage during storm season.
- Replace mulch in beds. This will give your yard a clean, hearty look, while bringing some color to your landscape’s accent areas. Popular choices include brown, natural, black, and red. If you’re planning on using hardwood mulch, it should be maintained at 3 inches deep for the best weed control. This also helps the bed retain moisture around plants.
An Autumn yard is a great way to bring vibrance into the lives of all those who stop to admire it. The rustic, nostalgia of a festive fall landscape – now more than ever – can help encourage a sense of calm. Use these Turf Medic pointers, and you too can draw inspiration from this season of color.