Free Landscaping Ideas For Fall
Invigorating fall ...
tingling, misty mornings ...
Ahhh!My favorite time of year for having fun with all the gorgeous colors and for "chores" that actually become enjoyable when the weather is crisp and beautiful! I love all the charming landscaping designs you can create in the fall.
One idea is to use a pumpkin as a planter for some brightly colored mums, putting small holes in the bottom for drainage (if you are in the cooler regions of the country where it won't go bad quickly).
You can also use a pretty weather-friendly manufactured one in the hotter regions.
I also like to hang the pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) planter on a shepherd's hook (again you can get this at your local gardening supply center) or place it on an extra birdbath.
This is the one time I will use silk plants outside -- to place around the bottom of the pumpkin in the birdbath, hanging over the edges or surrounding the arrangement.
Another landscaping idea is to use a large, outdoor planter in which you put some sort of bottom filler such as chicken wire or peat moss and then on top of that, arrange maybe some of the beautiful colored winter gourds you can buy at your local market or some small pumpkins with small pots of winter flowers.
Lots of people really love scare crows for the fall -- either sitting on a bench, or used in an arrangement with perhaps a couple of hay bales with pumpkins and/or fall flowers.
Some of the "maintenance" items I consider fun are working with stepping stones to make a new walk or place in some of your gardens.
Either regular stones from your garden center, or using kits to make your own!There are beautiful mosaic tiles and colored glass you can use just for a few examples of materials.
I have seen lady bug stones, flower stones, and many other personalized ones of every type as well.
This is also a great time to build a new patio, arbor or bridge or to make new beds with borders and mulch.
Then you will be ready for your gorgeous new plantings when spring comes, and you can just have fun with your new plants! I also like to do the things that are miserable to do in the summer, but therapeutic in the fall months.
Some examples are painting or poly-coating your fences, cleaning out unwanted plants from your gardens to be ready for spring and replacing them with mulch, and anything else that can be unpleasant when the weather is warm or hot.
Finally, there are the mundane lawncare and landscaping things you do to maintain a beautiful lawn year-round, such as: Mowing to 1-1/2" to stimulate it's growth in the Spring Fertilizing with a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in late September/early October and then again in November for a thick, beautiful turf, but also for cold-resistance during the winter months.
Aeration skip this step, and you will not have a gorgeous, carpet-like lawn in the spring no matter how much you fertilize! Do this in September or October as well, and then once again in the spring.
Even just a fall aeration can produce amazing results in your turf.
You can rent or buy an aerator, or use an attachment found at your local garden supply store for your mower that will also work well.
(Do be cautious with the mower attachment method as it can over-heat your mower if you do not let it rest periodically during the aeration process).
I learned that the hard way! Watering It is best to water in three short five-ten minute cycles in the morning.
I find that for problem areas or brown spots, hand-watering works best rather than more water.
Mulching Mulch is as important in the winter as in the summer.
It can prevent root freezing (or burning in the summer), help drainage and water evaporation, and discourage weeds year-round.
It also improves the soil quality which creates more nutrients for your plants.
One to three inches of organic mulch such as bark, straw, leaves, compost or even pine tree needles or grass clippings will do fine.
My personal favorite is the red-colored mulch-- especially for the fall months as is it is a deep reddish-burgundy (very fall-looking color), and makes a wonderful contrast for your evergreen hedges, trees and brightly colored fall flowers.
I hope you find these tips helpful and that you will find some things you can do from them that you will have fun with as well.
Have a great fall and a magical winter holiday season!
tingling, misty mornings ...
Ahhh!My favorite time of year for having fun with all the gorgeous colors and for "chores" that actually become enjoyable when the weather is crisp and beautiful! I love all the charming landscaping designs you can create in the fall.
One idea is to use a pumpkin as a planter for some brightly colored mums, putting small holes in the bottom for drainage (if you are in the cooler regions of the country where it won't go bad quickly).
You can also use a pretty weather-friendly manufactured one in the hotter regions.
I also like to hang the pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) planter on a shepherd's hook (again you can get this at your local gardening supply center) or place it on an extra birdbath.
This is the one time I will use silk plants outside -- to place around the bottom of the pumpkin in the birdbath, hanging over the edges or surrounding the arrangement.
Another landscaping idea is to use a large, outdoor planter in which you put some sort of bottom filler such as chicken wire or peat moss and then on top of that, arrange maybe some of the beautiful colored winter gourds you can buy at your local market or some small pumpkins with small pots of winter flowers.
Lots of people really love scare crows for the fall -- either sitting on a bench, or used in an arrangement with perhaps a couple of hay bales with pumpkins and/or fall flowers.
Some of the "maintenance" items I consider fun are working with stepping stones to make a new walk or place in some of your gardens.
Either regular stones from your garden center, or using kits to make your own!There are beautiful mosaic tiles and colored glass you can use just for a few examples of materials.
I have seen lady bug stones, flower stones, and many other personalized ones of every type as well.
This is also a great time to build a new patio, arbor or bridge or to make new beds with borders and mulch.
Then you will be ready for your gorgeous new plantings when spring comes, and you can just have fun with your new plants! I also like to do the things that are miserable to do in the summer, but therapeutic in the fall months.
Some examples are painting or poly-coating your fences, cleaning out unwanted plants from your gardens to be ready for spring and replacing them with mulch, and anything else that can be unpleasant when the weather is warm or hot.
Finally, there are the mundane lawncare and landscaping things you do to maintain a beautiful lawn year-round, such as: Mowing to 1-1/2" to stimulate it's growth in the Spring Fertilizing with a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in late September/early October and then again in November for a thick, beautiful turf, but also for cold-resistance during the winter months.
Aeration skip this step, and you will not have a gorgeous, carpet-like lawn in the spring no matter how much you fertilize! Do this in September or October as well, and then once again in the spring.
Even just a fall aeration can produce amazing results in your turf.
You can rent or buy an aerator, or use an attachment found at your local garden supply store for your mower that will also work well.
(Do be cautious with the mower attachment method as it can over-heat your mower if you do not let it rest periodically during the aeration process).
I learned that the hard way! Watering It is best to water in three short five-ten minute cycles in the morning.
I find that for problem areas or brown spots, hand-watering works best rather than more water.
Mulching Mulch is as important in the winter as in the summer.
It can prevent root freezing (or burning in the summer), help drainage and water evaporation, and discourage weeds year-round.
It also improves the soil quality which creates more nutrients for your plants.
One to three inches of organic mulch such as bark, straw, leaves, compost or even pine tree needles or grass clippings will do fine.
My personal favorite is the red-colored mulch-- especially for the fall months as is it is a deep reddish-burgundy (very fall-looking color), and makes a wonderful contrast for your evergreen hedges, trees and brightly colored fall flowers.
I hope you find these tips helpful and that you will find some things you can do from them that you will have fun with as well.
Have a great fall and a magical winter holiday season!
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