As summer comes to a close, it’s time to say goodbye to the Catmint and Dahlias, time to shut down pools and ponds, and time to prepare for the cold months and snowfall ahead. It’s also time to breathe new life into your landscape, so you can continue to enjoy it through arguably the most stunning season of the year, for everything from blooms to berries and bark.
Fall is a great time to rejuvenate your landscape with color, texture and seasonal interest. It’s also one of the best times of the year to plant new flowers – especially those you want to see next spring. Daffodils, Irises and Tulips are all flowers that you can plant now for a gorgeous welcome to spring.
Even shrubs and trees do better when they’re planted in fall. The cool, moist soil gives plants a head start at establishing roots, even as the plants themselves go dormant above ground. That means by spring they’ll be strong and sturdy, ready to transform your garden.
But beyond preparing for next season, fall comes with a beauty and brilliance all its own. Here are some ways that you can rejuvenate your landscape for fall so you can continue to enjoy your outdoor living space.
Plant Fall Flowers
Just because your summer favorites are gone doesn’t mean your landscape has to be drab. Fall comes with some rich, vibrant colors like those seen in Chrysanthemums, Sumac, Pansies and Goldenrod. Switching out summer bloomers for these fall beauties can immediately transform your landscape into a visual delight.
Fall grasses like Blue Fescue, or the feathery fronds of Miscanthus add height and texture.
Some plants and shrubs change throughout the seasons, giving them four-season appeal. Hydrangea blooms can be just as beautiful in dried clusters as they are in full color. Viburnums stand out in spring with elegant white flowers then show off bright red or yellow berries in fall.
A beautiful fall landscape combines new bloomers with four-season plantings to take advantage of the season’s offerings.
Add Outdoor Lighting
As the days become shorter, landscape lighting becomes a natural ally. It can add texture and drama, highlight focal points, even bring out colors that you might not otherwise see during darker evening hours.
Walkway lighting draws the eye to your front door and adds a safety feature as well. Tree lighting creates a natural moon-and-starlight effect that will illuminate a porch or patio so you can relax by the fire pit or enjoy late season grilling. Spotlights can be used to wash your entire home in light for dramatic and dazzling curb appeal.
As you prepare to shut down your pond for winter, underwater lighting can illuminate waterfalls for a magical nighttime setting.
Even ancillary lighting like lanterns, fairy lights or sconces can transform a dark landscape into a charming space for evening relaxation and entertaining.
Switch Up The Décor
Summer and fall have different personalities and energies. As the activity of summer mellows into the coziness of fall, your outdoor décor should reflect the change.
Summer is a great time for fountains, ponds and bubblers, where fall is better suited to natural vine-and-berry wreaths and collections of pumpkins and gourds. Use natural seasonal elements throughout your space, or swap out summer garden ornaments with those befitting fall.
Simple changes can have big visual appeal. Switch out a porch bench for a rocking chair, replace an herb container garden with a bucket of dried flowers, grab fall-colored pillows to accent outdoor furniture.
And don’t forget the lights! Turn an ordinary space into a cozy seating or gathering area, or simply highlight your fall decorating with the right combination of outdoor lighting techniques.
Include A Hardscape
Fall rejuvenation isn’t just about the plants and flowers. Few things have fall and winter appeal like a beautifully designed hardscape, whether in the form of a brick walkway or a natural stone garden. Long after leaves have lost their color and flowers have gone to ground for the season, natural rocks, stones and brick add texture and visual interest to your landscape.
The best part about a hardscape is that it’s low-maintenance and can serve as the timeless foundation for changing seasonal elements like container gardens and other décor.
Whether you envision a patio for sitting beside your fire pit, a wall to line with lanterns, or a bed of natural stone that cascades beside a waterfall or garden, hardscapes add a distinct visual element to your landscape year-round.
Fall In Love With Fall
Sprucing up your landscape for fall is a great way to ensure that you can enjoy your space even as the summer sun wanes. And doing a mini-makeover in fall can have other benefits, too.
We mentioned that shrubs and trees fare better when planted in fall, and some bulbs require that you plant in fall for spring bloom. But did you know that some herbs and edibles taste better when harvested in the fall? Arugula and mustard seed, for example, actually become more mellow and less bitter.
Cauliflower and cabbage are both striking garden additions and can be harvested late into the season. Some herbs, like parsley, dill and cilantro are less likely to go to seed in the fall than in the spring.
And if that’s not enough reason to love fall, it’s also a great time to add a new pond. Cooler temperatures mean less stress on fish, and that translates to less disease and fewer health concerns. Even algae is far less of a challenge in fall.
Plus, a late fall and winter pond can be incredibly beautiful, adding extra dimensions of sound and motion to an otherwise subdued landscape.
If you’re ready to trade the heat of summer for crisp fall days and want your landscape to reflect the change, get in touch with us for a consultation. We’ll revitalize your space for the season and help set you up for more beauty in the seasons to come.
