In fall, as landscape chores wind down with the end of the growing season and thoughts turn to getting ready for winter, it's a good time to pause and cast a critical eye on your home grounds. Stroll around and think back through the previous year. Chances are there are some changes you might want to make.
Would you have used your deck more this past summer if it had trees to shade it? Or maybe a screen - some kind of fence with plants, perhaps - between your yard and your neighbor's pool would be nice. And that border where you plant annuals every year - wouldn't it be great to convert that mostly to perennials?
OK, you're on a roll now. Keep going! What about that snowdrift that forms in front of your garage door when the wind is from the west? Maybe a windbreak would cause the snow to pile up somewhere else.
Now is the time to plant spring bulbs, so you can add that to this fall's list.
Planting shade trees can wait until spring. Spring is also a good time to plant perennials and climbing vines for a screen, and for killing off the grass on that steep ditch bank and replacing it with something you won't have to mow.
What the checkup and the changes boil down to, of course, is making the landscape do what you want it to, whether that's delight the eye, provide play space for kids, shade the house, redirect the wind, look good with less maintenance, whatever. Then you can make the changes that will allow that to happen.
A fall checkup is a good beginning, but it may take a year to assess the total landscape. Keep notes on wind, drainage, people and vehicular traffic, outdoor living space, storage needs, pet accommodations, maintenance needs of garden and landscape plants, and the general appearance of the property in all seasons.
Unless you can hire someone to come in and do everything all at once, chances are you're looking at making changes over time, perhaps several years. As you cross items off, you will probably add others, and priorities may change. That's OK - families and interests evolve and resources change, and the landscape needs to evolve, also. With guided evolution, you're much more likely to end up with a landscape that meets your needs.
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