Why Fall Is a Great Time to Update Your Landscape Design

If you’re like a lot of folks in Maryland, the first cool breeze of fall is a welcome one. The kids are back in school and it’s finally cool enough to enjoy working outside in your yard again. Take a good, hard look at your property. Is it time to update your landscape design?

The answer is yes if you see any of the following:

• A yard that is more weeds than grass
• Bare patches in your yard
• Evidence of erosion
• Trees that lost limbs during some of the big storms of the summer
• Trees growing into your house or nearby power lines
• Overgrown shrubs
• Dead or dying shrubs and/or trees
• Cracked, chipped, or uneven walkways, driveway, or patio

And of course, another sign it’s time for an upgrade to your landscape design is if you’re not happy with the way the current design looks, or if it doesn’t meet your needs. There are two parts to your landscape design, and fall is an excellent time to upgrade both elements.

Landscaping

Your landscaping, of course, is all of the living plant material on your property. This includes:

• Turfgrass
• Flowering plants (annuals and perennials)
• Ornamental grasses
• Shrubs
• Ornamental trees
• Shade Trees
• Evergreen trees

A hot, dry summer can wreak havoc on your landscaping. So can days of rain. What’s a homeowner to do? Make a list of what you see and come up with a plan to fix problem areas.

Are you tired of mowing a large expanse of lawn? Consider adding a new garden (or more than one!) where there are bare patches or too many weeds. By removing the remaining grass, amending the soil, and adding your favorite bulbs, perennials, annuals, shrubs, and a tree, you create a visual interest that provides food and shelter for insects, birds, and small mammals.

Did a tree or shrub die or lose branches that make it misshapen? Remove it if it’s dead, and consider what you want to replace it with. Be sure to select a specimen that will fit into the space when fully grown and is suitable for the sun or shade the area receives. If it’s alive but misshapen, give it a good pruning to help it regain a pleasing profile.

By planting in the fall, you give trees, shrubs, and other plant material the time to get an established root system in the cooler months. This gives them a head start when the sudden hot days of springtime arrive. Where possible, select native plants to provide the best chance of not only surviving but thriving.

Add Temporary Accents to Add Fall Color

In addition to planting new trees and shrubs and creating new garden areas, a fun thing to do is add temporary fall color. You can do this by adding potted chrysanthemums and other fall flowers to your front entryway and patio. You can also add pumpkins and gourds for a beautiful effect.

Hardscaping

Fall is also a great time to add or upgrade hardscaping elements to your overall landscape design. If your patio and walkways are cracked or uneven, consider replacing them. If your existing patio or deck is looking worse for wear and is just too small for your outdoor entertaining needs, fall is a great time to schedule a replacement.

Or maybe with all the summer rains, you discovered you need a retaining wall to keep your yard from washing away or to keep mulch in place on a slope. Take care of the issue before fall rains and winter snow cause a real problem with erosion.

You’ll still get to enjoy your outdoor living space for months to come, especially if you add a fire pit, outdoor fireplace, or portable patio heater.

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Make It Exceptional. Make It Woodfield.

The team here at Woodfield Outdoors can create a custom landscape design for you that includes all of the landscape and hardscape elements you desire. We work with you and the existing features of your landscape to develop a comprehensive plan that will turn your dreams into reality. 

We work with discerning homeowners throughout the Baltimore region. Set up a consultation today to get started!