As the days become cooler and the nights arrive earlier, it’s time to prepare your lawn and gardens for the change in seasons.  Just like you need a plan when winter turns to spring, you also need one for when summer turns to fall.  To help you get the most joy out of your lawn and gardens as possible, here are five landscaping tips to prepare for fall.

Remove Annuals

Now is the time to get rid of annuals that have died off.  There’s nothing that’s more depressing than seeing dead flower stalks and leaves poking out through the snow in the middle of winter.  Take some time to clear up your flower beds and allow yourself a fresh start come next spring.

Prune Trees And Shrubs

Winter can be hard on trees, evergreen shrubs and other year round plantings.  Take some time to cut back damaged branches, dead stems or overgrown areas that won’t make it through the colder weather.  Not only will your landscape look better for it, but you’ll be protecting your home and other structures from falling branches during the winter.

Plant Bulbs

Now is the time to plan for a colourful spring.  Planting bulbs as the autumn arrives allows them to benefit from residual warmth in the soil and the forthcoming fall rains.  A little effort now will provide a welcome splash of colour come spring.

Aerate And Seed The Lawn

Aerating your lawn in the fall will allow air and water to penetrate more deeply into the soil and give your lawn the chances of a better start once the weather warms up again.  Laying down a layer of seed over bald patches will allow them to establish themselves and provide you with a fuller, greener lawn in the following summer.

Clean The Gutters

Cleaning the gutters after the leaves have fallen allows you to easily remove them whole.  If you let them sit over the winter they’ll decompose, turn to mush and become much more of a nuisance next year.  Take care of this task now to reduce the amount of effort it requires.