5 Landscape Tips this Fall

Autumn is almost here! Along with cozy fall decor and Friday night football games, time to get your landscape ready for the new season. Here's what our ServeScape designers recommend for flawless fall landscape design and prep tips. 

1. Compost your leaves

According to Bernie Kida, mow your leaves with a mulching mower, instead of bagging them and paying extra for yard debris pick-up.

"Mix them with the summer's grass clippings and kitchen compost," he says. "The ideal ratio is four parts "brown" with one part "green" grass clippings and kitchen scraps."

2. Buy contrasting plants

Buy plants with different fall color and dormancy cycles, recommends Skyler Keeney. For example, Red Maples and Dogwoods both have red fall color and defoliate early.

"Mix it up for extra contrast with grasses, shrubs, conifers, and plants that have yellow/orange fall color or defoliate later in the season, like Fire Chief Arborvitae, Japanese maples, Ginkgo, etc.," Keeney says. 

3. Leave seed heads

According to Tonya Meeks, leave seed heads on plants, such as Echinacea/Coneflowers. It's great for wildlife like birds as it can be used as a food source.

"Doing this can also create winter interest," she explains. "It can make gardening easier, less effort, and you are doing something positive for our ecosystem which in turn is helpful to humans as well."

4. Plant hydrangeas

"Trees aren't the only plants for great fall color. Oakleaf Hydrangea leaves turn a brilliant red and stay vibrant until the first heavy frost," says Heather Andignac. 

Also, leave blooms on your Limelight Hydrangeas for fall and winter interest, she adds. 

5. Clean and look for planting gaps

"Start by cleaning up your garden to make gaps easier to see," Mario Cambardella explains. "For example, remove dead limbs and cut back diseased perennials (don’t remove all dead leaves from beds though - your plants and pollinators benefit from the debris)."

Take note of places that are visually bare. If you have a perennial garden, consider adding annuals to fill in gaps. 

Want more fall plants and design?

Check out our Green November Collection, a curated, handpicked selection of lush, vibrant plants that bring the warmth and serenity of greenery to your outdoor space. If you're looking for a reimagined fall landscape, get in touch with our ServeScape designers. They'd love to work with you to design the perfect fall landscape.