When autumn rolls around, most people think of falling leaves as their main landscaping project to be done. And while that’s an important way to tend your home’s outdoor spaces, it’s certainly not the only thing you can do. There are so many ways to beautify your home exterior to make it stand out during the fall season.
Our designers at ProActive Landscaping love imagining and building attractive, eye-catching outdoor spaces for homeowners all around the Tulsa, OK area. From choosing plants and designing flower beds to installing hardscape and lighting features, we enjoy getting creative so your home looks as beautiful as you want it to.
To get you started, here are 5 of our favorite tips for fantastic fall landscaping that makes you proud of your home.
1. Care for Your Lawn
Looking for landscaping care that goes a long way? Know how to properly care for your lawn. If tended properly for each season, your grass will withstand the cool winter weather and be ready to grow lush and thick in spring.
What to do:
- Aerate — Use a garden fork or an aerator to create small holes in your grass. This allows in oxygen, water and fertilizer, making your lawn healthy and resilient.
- Fertilize — Fall is an ideal time to add nutrients to your grassy areas. Apply a high-phosphorus blend to your lawn.
- Do a final mow — Before you quit mowing for winter, do a final cut. A short lawn resists disease easier and is also simpler to rake. Just be careful not to go too short—aim to cut grass no shorter than 1¼ inches.
2. Clear Away Leaves
Many homeowners dislike raking leaves, which can get tedious during Oklahoma’s windy, chilly autumns. But staying on top of raking has several advantages:
- Attractive — Tidying your leaves keeps your home looking nice, and it’ll stand out compared to that neighbor who isn’t raking.
- Healthy — It’s good exercise for you, but raking is also healthy for your lawn. By picking up leaves, you’re preventing them from growing mildew and killing your grass.
- Usable — Put leaves in a designated mulch spot, or insert them in a composter. When allowed to decompose properly, leaves turn into rich dirt and fertilizer for your garden come spring.
3. Plant Fall Greenery
Many plants actually need to be planted in autumn, ideally in October and November, to have time to lay dormant and build roots. This allows them to grow beautifully in springtime. Make time to:
- Add flower bulbs — Tulips, daffodils, irises and other bulb-based flowers need to root in the ground over winter.
- Transplant perennials — If you desire to move these plants to new locations in your yard, fall is an ideal time.
- Place new bushes and trees — Fall’s cool, moist soil gives shrubs and trees more time to get rooted before Tulsa, OK’s hot weather arrives.
4. Add Splashes of Color
Just because it’s autumn, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on enjoying bright colors outside and inside your home. There are many ways to do so:
- Go evergreen — Plant rich green plants that stay vibrant year-round, such as holly and boxwood.
- Decorate — Colorful boxes and vases can hold evergreens or colorful fall decorations. Orange, red, yellow, or gold décor such as fall wreaths can brighten a front door.
- Use planters — Evergreens can be planted in pots on your porch. If you love indoor plants, attach colorful planters and flowers to the inside of windows, where they can catch the eye of visitors.
5. Install Additional Lighting and Other Features
To take your landscape to the next level and transform your outdoor spaces into lovely, functional areas year-round, don’t limit yourself to plants and grass. Think about other features that also add value and beauty to your landscaping:
- Outdoor lighting — Practical and attractive outside light fixtures can make it easy to navigate your driveway and pathways in the winter. And there are many lovely designs to choose from that add charm year-round.
- Hardscaping — Greenery and flowers are just one part of well-designed landscaping. Stone features, statuettes, rock gardens and other hardscape features add great visual interest. Fall is a great time to add them, and they’ll look good in the winter.
- Pergolas — Autumn is a convenient time for home improvement projects. The cool weather is ideal for installing outdoor entertaining areas, pergolas and other outdoor structures.
- Drainage — With all the rain this spring and summer, you may have noticed spots where you could benefit from better drainage. Install it now, and you won’t have to worry about it come spring. Let our team give you expert advice on how to solve your landscaping drainage needs effectively.
Design Your Landscape for Every Season
Once your yard is cared for and looking its best for fall and winter, why not take the next step and design a look for your landscaping that you’ll love year-round. At ProActive Landscaping, we help you determine the best plants for your needs, install outdoor lighting that makes your landscaping features pop, and create beautiful spaces such as pergolas that elevate your home to the next level.
Enjoy the outdoor spaces you’ve been dreaming of—and turn your home into an oasis of relaxing beauty. Contact us for a free quote on your fall landscaping projects.
