Fall is the perfect time to evaluate your current yard situation and determine where you would like to replace plants or add updates.
With the 90+ degree temperatures retreating from North Carolina for the year, it is time to take advantage of our amazing autumn climate. Fall in NC is absolutely pleasant for outdoor living and for establishing new plantings in your yard. This ideal season will extend until at least November when temps could begin to drop and slow plant growth.
Can Your Outdoor Living Space Look Better?
A variety of colors and textures keeps your landscape visually appealing. If your plantings are lacking variety, consider adding some pops of color this fall.
The first step in sprucing up your outdoor living space with new plants is evaluating what you have, what you will remove, and where you would like to see some expansion of your plant palette. The obvious removals will include anything that is dead or has been severely damaged by the intense heat of the summer or the thrashing winds from pop up storms and heavy rains. Removing these plants first will provide you with a clear image of the space you have to fill.
If you are not sure what you want to plant in the new barren area, sketching the space with notes labeling the other plants can be helpful. This design can be kept close by when exploring your options on the web or at your local nursery or big box hardware store. If possible, note the blooming season of the existing plants and the colors so that you can increase the blooming season and create a complementary color scheme for the space. Also, pay close attention to the amount of sun the area gets during the summer months so that your new plants will thrive year-round.
A Cut Here. A Trim There.
If you want to maintain more formal plant shapes over the winter, trim in the early fall, before the cold weather arrives.
Early fall is also an excellent time to complete one last round of trimming and shaping before cold weather arrives. Long, leggy branches and overgrowth can be removed without stressing the plants unnecessarily. But be careful not to remove too much outer growth. Cold weather is not far away and could damage the newly exposed central portion of the plants. And once cold weather arrives, do not give in to the temptation to immediately trim off frost damage. Leave that dead material to act as insulation and protection for the undamaged part of the plant.
Make Sure Your Plants Stay Hydrated!
Summer watering schedules should remain active until the daily high temps are below 90 degrees and the nights are substantially cooler. Reduce the number of days that the irrigation runs rather than reducing the run time on each zone. This will provide deeper, more substantial watering on a less frequent schedule and encourage deeper root growth.
Adding raised planters and pots are perfect ways to create pockets of color that are easy to maintain and add a substantial impact to your outdoor living space.
At COVIS, we know a thing or two about landscaping, but we focus our attention and efforts to creating amazing outdoor living spaces for families all over Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and the whole Triangle region. We have plenty of experience and connections for landscapers and designers who could create the perfect landscaping plan for you to compliment your new custom patio and outdoor entertainment space. And with the holidays just around the corner, think about adding a new fire pit, fireplace, or outdoor kitchen to your patio. These functional and fun additions will turn your patio into a true outdoor living space that you will enjoy for years to come!
