PA Residents: How to Prep Your Yard for Fall

For those who live in Southeastern Pennsylvania like our team, you know that autumn is the best time to work outside. Less bugs, humidity, and heat. Not to mention the soft, easy-to-dig in soil. Though, most people don't make nearly enough use of their outdoor space in the fall. Here's our guide to mastering your backyard this season.

Feed Your Soil

When dead leaves start piling high, homeowners most often bag them up and send them off. But the leaves fall for multiple reasons, one of those being to feed the soil. Rather than rake them up and dispose of the leaves, consider spreading them throughout your garden for added nutrients. If you're not happy with how that looks, you can purchase a mulching leaf vacuum that grinds up the dead leaves to appear like regular mulch. Other ways to feed the ground: hang onto food garbage like coffee grinds and eggshells, and spread these throughout your soil as well.

Plant Trees & Shrubs

Autumn is the perfect time to make larger additions to your landscaping, such as trees and shrubs. September through November is the most ideal time to plant trees, as it allows the roots to become established before the ground freezes. When choosing what trees and shrubs to plant, you'll want to plan carefully. They'll most likely be part of your property for decades to come, so you want to make sure your choice of plants--as well as where they're placed--fits your long-term landscaping goals. Research what they look like in each season so you can craft a color scheme for summer, spring, winter, and fall. Certain varieties of shrubs and trees can offer fruit or berries that add a pop of color to your winter landscape.

Patch Up Your Lawn

If you have patches of grass that didn't fare so well this season, fall is the perfect time to patch it up. Having a dog, potted plants, outdoor furniture, or neighborhood pests all can contribute to dead spots of grass in the yard. But early fall yields warm soil and lots of rain, so take this opportunity to plant some grass seed. If it doesn't take, you can always try again in the spring.

Perform Other Outdoor Maintenance

Any prep work you do now minimizes your work when summer comes around, so make the most of it. You might've developed cracks in your pavement, patio, or pavers. Take the time to seal those up while it's cool and comfortable outside. If you have a fire pit, clean it out, make sure the cover (if it has one) fits properly, and perform any other necessary maintenance. Autumn is the perfect time to clean out gutters and prevent any critter problems from developing on your property throughout the year.

Get Ready for the Holidays

With the onset of autumn comes the arrival of holiday celebrations. Keep this in mind when installing anything new to your property. Think about the color scheme and layout you're developing, and how that will coincide with the holiday decor you might have planned. If decorating for the holidays isn't your thing, talk to the experts. Avoid the hassle of setting up and—worst of all—finding somewhere to store your decorations this holiday. Hoffman Design Group is an industry leader in holiday decorating services. We pride ourselves on delivering holiday cheer year after year for our Philadelphia clients, with both traditional and contemporary attention-grabbing displays. Whether you prefer subtle, natural snow scenes or a 45-foot glittering Christmas tree, Hoffman will carefully put together designs to fit your taste and budget.