Autumn is, for many, a favorite time of the year. Before you can enjoy your pumpkin spice latte, however, it is time to get your yard in order. Take our advice and avoid these six fall landscaping mistakes. Soon you’ll be spending lazy Sunday afternoons ordering fritters at the apple orchard. Has landscaping grown beyond your capacity? Don’t worry. The Hittle Landscaping team is ready to assist you.
At Hittle Landscaping, we’ve been helping Indianapolis home and business owners with landscaping design, installation and maintenance needs for more than 40 years. We know what needs to be done. Let us give you the time to enjoy this glorious season.
Fall Landscaping Mistakes #1
Avoid raking and removing fallen leaves. It’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of the change in the fall foliage. Don’t, however, let the fallen leaves sit too long. If you have larger leaves on your property, such as maple or sycamore, they can easily form dense piles.
These piles can starve the grass underneath for sunlight and nutrients. If the amount of fallen leaves is few to moderate, you can leave them until you mow the grass. This shreds the leaves and returns nitrogen to the ground.
Add rain and get big messy wet piles of a mildew-breeding mess. If these piles of wet leaves linger on hardscapes, such as sidewalks or driveways, they can be dangerous underfoot. Finally, wet piles of leaves can stain the hardscapes. This requires additional work to return to normal.
Fall Landscaping Mistakes #2
Tie yourself to lawn maintenance. Tired of spending your weekends on or behind a lawnmower? Shrink the amount of grass you’re obligated to mow. Consider the activities your family enjoys and tailor your grounds to it.
If you have small children you may choose to designate a space to run and play. Perhaps you’d like to plan an area for a putting green or for family games like croquet. Have older children or an empty nest? Consider a rock garden, installing a fire pit or planting more trees.
Fall Landscaping Mistakes #3
Ignore hardscape areas. Landscaping consists of two segments: hard and soft. Hardscapes are immobile, inanimate and functional like driveways, sidewalks and retaining walls. Soft are alive, can be planted and change.
Examples of softscapes are flowers, groundcovers and mulch. Do not make this fall landscaping mistake and ignore hardscapes. Powerwash these areas to clean them. Additionally, if these areas are in the shade or are north-facing, they may have algae or mildew to address. Do not make fall landscaping mistakes of allowing this nuisance to bloom or stain.
Fall Landscaping Mistakes #4
Assume fall is just about planting bulbs. No question, fall is a great time to plant spring and summer bulbs. Seeing a crocus or snowdrop poke its head through the mulch or dormant grass is lovely after dreary weather.
Don’t assume, however, color is absent until spring. When you call a landscaping expert like Hittle, we can design a four-season plan. There are plenty of groundcovers and other softscapes to provide color year-round.
Fall Landscaping Mistakes #5
Choke trees with mulch. Common fall landscaping mistakes include too much mulch around tree trunks. Designed to control soil temperature and moisture levels, mulch must be applied in a loose manner.
Compact it and you soften the root collar. This invites rot, invasive insects and critters looking for a warm nest.
Call Hittle Landscaping and Enjoy Fall
Enjoy your family and the fun activities autumn brings. Avoid these common fall landscaping mistakes. If it is time for a renovation with an upgrade to your curb appeal and outdoor spaces, call Hittle Landscaping.
First, we get to you know you. Second, we listen to your ideas. Then, we bring more than 40 years of expertise in thoughtful landscaping, lighting and design to create your dream.
Locally-owned and operated, Hittle Landscaping applies our trademark attention to detail to any challenge. To explore how our landscape design may beautify and improve your property, call Hittle Landscaping today for a free consultation.
