7 Tips to Help You Prepare Your Yard & Patio for Fall

It’s one of the most anticipated times of the year: Fall!

Browning grass and sticky heat are ending and being traded for chillier weather and falling leaves. It’s the time to transition indoor festivities to the great outdoors. You can now share meals with friends on your lawn under the stars instead of inside under the ceiling fan.

To truly reap the benefits of a beautiful fall spent outside in an even more beautiful yard, however, you need to put in a bit of yard care before the season officially begins. This not only means making sure you have the right furniture and accommodations for a beautiful yard, but you’ve done the dirty prep work to make sure your plants actually survive the season and look as alive as your events should feel!

Let us help you prepare for a festive and beautiful autumn, and to be the place all your neighbors want to host their dinners at. 

Prepare Your Grass & Garden

Unfortunately, any nice yard must begin with the not-so-fun prepping. You can’t exactly enjoy a family dinner outside on the lawn if the lawn is brown and crispy though, can you? To ensure that your grass is as beautiful as possible, follow these yard care tips.

1. Change the Blade on Your Lawnmower

As you near fall, make sure that you continue to mow your lawn but make sure you drop the blade to its lowest setting, which allows more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass. By doing this, you’ll notice less browning of your grass. Landscape professionals recommend gradually lowering the blade over the duration of two mows, and then completely lowering it the third time.

2. Rake the Leaves

Depending on where you live, you might already have some leaves taking up your yard. As mundane of a chore as it might seem, this is definitely a yard care task you need to take care of!

The leaves that exist on top of your plants or grass are slowly suffocating and killing it, so when you finally get around to raking them up you might be sad to find that your grass is dead. Leaves left alone for an extended amount of time can also breed fungal diseases, which is the opposite of a fun fall time.

You can use a lawnmower to mulch, or just remove with a rake or vacuum system. Mix it up and make a jumping pile first if you need some fun incentive! 

3. Plant, Plant, Plant!

Right before fall is the perfect time to plant anything new you might have had your eye on. When plants are planted in the fall, they immediately begin establishing themselves in the ground versus searching for nutrients, and their roots won’t be damaged in the perfect autumn weather. This also allows your new additions to acclimate themselves before the winter comes so they have a better chance of survival.

Have Fun with Your Decor

Now that you’ve set yourself up with a clean lawn and your plants are prepared for success, you can have some fun with design. Below are some ideas on how to get your yard up to speed to make it the community favorite and inspiration.

4. Add a Fire Pit

It might still feel too warm to talk about having a fire pit, but trust us, it’s so worth it! Invest in a fire pit or chiminea (or find one used and fix it up) that is big enough for a group of people to sit around it. This makes for great group conversations, scary stories, s’mores and not to mention it just looks great in any yard whether the fire’s lit or unused. It’s the potential for fun that makes it appealing.

5. Purchase Comfortable, Substantial Furniture

When shopping for the best patio furniture, you’re looking for something that not only is beautiful but is comfortable and can also withstand the crazy weather that may hit your area. Know your typical weather conditions and shop accordingly.

Whether you’re looking for chairs, benches, or a full dining set, the options for upgrading your patio furniture has never been greater than today. Of course, no matter what type of furniture you add to your patio, having comfy cushions is always a nice addition, as it makes sitting outside for long periods of time much easier than just sitting on a metal chair.

Make sure that your furniture is easy to move so you can easily adjust the setup depending on what kind of event you’d like to host in your yard. Whether it’s a small gathering just for you and your family or you’re inviting the whole neighborhood, it’s nice to be able to switch it up.

Also, consider what type of weather you see in your area. For example, if you see a lot of wind in the fall, consider going with something heavy, such as wrought iron. With a little bit of tough-up paint in your back pocket, this furniture will last you for years. 

6. Clear Some Space for a Long Table

Ever thought of hosting a long-table dinner party? Imagine you and your greatest friends all at one table, sharing an awesome night together in the magic of your yard. Fall is the perfect time for this! Purchase a patio table or just reclaim long pieces of wood and create your own table that will match your unique style.

7. String Up Some Party Lights

If you have trees lining your yard, utilize them and string some sparkling lights throughout the yard. This will tie all the decorations together and bring the entire yard to life. The great news is that even if you don’t put much effort into the actual furniture and you buy inexpensive outdoor lights, it still looks like you put way more effort into it than you actually did! 

Final Thoughts

Here we are, at a place where your yard is tidied and spruced up, and ready to entertain just yourself or a large group of people. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing fall evening outside by the fire with your closest friends or bringing a large group of people out for larger festivities, your yard will be ready to impress.