The French philosopher Albert Camus once said, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
Fall’s colors and cool breezes will refresh the senses, for sure, but it will take more than that to refresh your yard. Todd Yeager, owner of Bellwether Landscape Architects, recommends a three-step program to put more awesome in your autumn.
- Take care of the lawn care and landscaping maintenance items that may have been neglected during the growing and summer travel seasons. This includes weeding, pruning and removing dead plants and vines, as well as routine exterior home maintenance such as painting, irrigation repairs and checking gutters and drains.
“From a plant perspective, we love the subtle, nostalgic scent of boxwoods in the evening garden, the sweet velvety nose of osmanthus and the fantastic fall colors of viburnums, oakleaf hydrangea and fothergilla in the landscape,” Yeager said.
- Homeowners shouldn’t stop at the basics of fall lawn care. Aerating and over-seeding fescue lawns are the “obvious fall tasks,” but developing soil monitoring and tree health programs has a major impact on how a lawn performs throughout the year.
- Lastly, a prepared homeowner is a man (or woman) of all seasons, which means you should be planning spring projects.
“Pools, new gardens and garden renovations are best achieved when planned well in advance with time to price and prepare,” Yeager added.
The opportunity to design fun, intimate lifestyle spaces for families and friends to use every day for creating memories in every season sparked Yeager’s passion for residential landscape architecture. The co-founder of Atlanta-based BLA and nearly 20-year landscape construction and design veteran stresses to friends and clients that there is no need to rush.
“It is best to approach fall landscape projects with grace, humility and a good sense of humor,” he said. “The oncoming winter is a harsh critic of poorly or hastily completed fall projects.”
As hikers put in more effort to enjoy more scenic views, homeowners can do the same, all in the comfort of their own lawns and gardens.
“We always look forward to the fall colors and the refreshing gatherings in our favorite outdoor living spaces, with fireplaces and fire pits,” said Yeager. “And TVs with football games!”
