20 Sep Fall “Honey-Do”
As fall quickly approaches, the “honey-do” list begins to grow longer. Getting your outdoor entertainment space ready for fall doesn’t need to be a complete overhaul. Whether you’re utilizing it to entertain during football season, curl up with coffee and a good book, or create memories with friends and family, follow these simple “to-do’s” for creating fall-friendly outdoor living.
We like to think of the lawn as the canvas to your outdoor space; luscious full lawns help bring the accents of flowers and décor to the forefront of your landscape. You’ve heard us say it many times, and we’ll say it again; the best way to ensure a healthy lawn is through aeration and overseeding. In the Omaha Metro, we have very compact clay soil, which can lead to problems for your lawn. Aerating once a year helps loosen up the soil allowing air, water and nutrients to penetrate deep into the roots. Fall is the ideal time to overseed as weed pressure is at its lowest and soil temperature is at peak germination rates. Fertilization is the final step necessary to protect your lawn. Managing your lawn in the fall is critical in determining what your lawn looks like in the spring and early summer.
A great and easy way to transition your entertaining space is refreshing your summer containers, but don’t worry, you don’t have to completely rework them. Start by tucking in cool-season flowers as your summer annuals move past their prime. Next, fill in gaps with kale and fountain grass to create an autumn ambience. Add some flare with dried seed pods, Indian corn, or even some gourds and small pumpkins. Finish your container with sphagnum moss to complete your fall design. If you need some creative help, our floral designer, Diane is always excited to help!
Our final fall “honey-do” suggestion is to add bursts of warm colors with fall-blooming flowers. Mums are the go-to plant for fall gardens pulling yellow, orange, and red splashes of color. The flower shapes are incredibly varied from quill-like petals, to daisy shapes, and pom-pom forms. Sturdy Asters are another great perennial for the season. The pink, blue, and purple flowers offer a cool alternative to the warm colors of mums. Another flower to offer contrast to the warmer colors are coneflowers. While most notably known as the Black-Eyed Susan, coneflowers (Echinacea) are available in other colors as well allowing you to create arrangements outside of the traditional warm fall colors.
Be the envy of your neighborhood with an outdoor space ready for fall. Shorten your “honey-do” list to one check, call Sun Valley Landscaping.