Get started with your autumn lawn and landscaping clean-up with our top-five checklist.

Summer is coming to a close and that means it’s the perfect time to do a little bit of landscaping clean-up before things get too cold outside. 

A bit of care and maintenance now can lead to a healthy, lush lawn next spring.

Getting your yard ready for autumn

Not sure where to start? Follow our lawn and landscaping checklist to make sure you have everything taken care of before the snow starts falling. 

1. Remove any leftover debris

As the leaves continue to fall, you’ll want to regularly remove them from your lawn. A layer of leaves and weeds can smother your grass and provide a perfect home for mice and other pests. 

2. Remove dead shrubs and trees

Now that things are past their peak growing season, you’ll know which trees and shrubs didn’t do well this year and need to be removed. If your unsure, you can check for signs of life by scratching at the bark near the base of a tree to see if there is any green there. If there isn’t, the tree might be dead and should probably be removed. Autumn is also a great time to plant new trees and perennials if there are any you need to replace.

3. Keep mowing

Part of fall lawn care is making sure your grass ends the season strong and healthy. It’s important to continue mowing and watering as needed. Set your lawnmower blades to the lowest setting for the final two cuts of the season. This allows more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass and will dry the soil out faster in the spring. Once temperatures drop below 50, it’s best to put the lawnmower away and let the grass rest for the winter.

4. Mulch plants and trees

Depending on the conditions where you live, many trees and bushes can benefit from mulching to help them stay strong through the winter months. Mulching also reduces erosion and helps suppress weeds. Perennials and cool-weather annuals often need from two to three- inches of mulch.

5. Don’t forget about your garden

Cleaning up your garden in the fall makes spring planting so much more enjoyable. Before the ground freezes, remove weeds and other plant debris. Trim any perennials plants or herbs and mulch as needed.

Need a little help getting your yard cleanup and ready for winter? Give Great Goats Landscaping a call and we’ll get the job done for you.

Starting to work on the landscaping around your house can feel like an overwhelming project. Whether your yard just needs some new plants or needs a completely fresh start, redesigning the landscape can seem overwhelming.

If you’ve never worked on a landscape design project before, it can be hard to know where to start. For beginners, it might be easiest to think of your yard as an extension of your home. Many of the principles used in interior design can apply to your outdoor space too. You already know how to put a room together – working outside should be no different!

Here are seven tips for people who are ready to give their yard a fresh look.

Determine what you want from your yard and landscaping

Start by making a list of what you want and need. Do you have children that will need a space to play? Do you want vegetable or flowerbeds? Would you like to gather on a patio or deck? Start sketching out some of your ideas. It doesn’t have to be perfect or permanent. By just using pen and paper and getting down some general ideas, you an easy play around with things until you find something that feels like it might work.

Consider location

Take some time to study the sun and wind patterns of your yard. You may be thinking about a west facing patio, for example, but in that location, it will probably get a lot of sun. Instead of being relaxing in the afternoon, it will probably just be hot. If you will be adding flower and vegetable beds, you will also need to know how much sun those areas get and if it will be enough to grow the plants you want.

Pause and enjoy your yard as it is

Spend some time in your yard as it is now. Jumping to quick conclusions about your yard can lead to choices that you might regret and don’t work longterm. After spending time in your yard, you might learn things about your yard that influence the final design.

Be realistic

TV shows make it seems like the yard of your dreams can be achieved overnight. In reality, they often have huge crews to pull-off the transformation. Even working with a professional landscaper will take time to create your vision.

Choose a focal point

Just like interior design, having a focal point or a series of focal points can be an easy principle to implement in your landscaping design. Whether it’s a flowering plant, a tree, fire pit or deck, a focal point draws your eye and pulls the whole landscape together.

Use Scale and pacing

Scale and pacing will give your landscaping a cohesive look. Use a variety of size, shape, and color with tall plants towards the back and shorter plants towards the front helps keep things interesting. Try to find a balance of repetition and new elements in the design. You don’t want your yard to feel monotonous, but repetition also gives a feeling of cohesion.

Great Goats Landscaping can create the yard of your dreams

Designing and implementing eye-catching, functional yards is something Great Goats Landscaping has done for years. We work with clients to design elements that meet their needs. If you’ve been thinking about changing or refreshing your landscaping, give us a call today to learn how we can help create the yard you’ve been dreaming of.

Designing and maintaining a yard that you love and enjoy can be a trick, long process. But hiring a landscaper to help with your yard doesn’t have to be.

The majority of Americans agree that having professional landscape work done would allow them to have a nicer yard that they can use more often.

Hiring the right landscaper can make the process much smoother, and you can feel confident knowing you’ve hired a landscaper you can trust.

Here are 5 questions to get you started.

Where do you source the trees, shrubs, and plants that you use?

While there isn’t a rule limiting you to only using native plants, it is helpful to be aware of where the plants used in your landscaping are coming from. Locally sourced plants will likely cost less, be more likely to thrive and require less maintenance.

What level of ongoing maintenance should I expect?

Each company’s policy for care and maintenance for after the work is complete or to replace any dead plants is different. Be sure to fully understand what the company you are talking with will take care of and what will fall to you.

Some companies also offer on-going maintenance programs to make sure your yard is looking its best all year.

Does the contractor understand your vision?

Any contractor you are considering should take the time to talk with you and fully understand what you want the finished product to look like and how much you can spend. Share examples of yards and other landscape projects that show what you are hoping to achieve.

After talking with you, your contractor will put together a scale drawing of your property and what your new yard will look like. Ask any questions you have to be sure you and your contractor are on the same page.

How long do you estimate the project will take?

There is always a chance that something unexpected will come up while you’re doing a home improvement project, and in landscaping, there is also the chance that weather will slow things done. Let your contractor know if you have any deadlines, but also be aware that there are somethings that will be out of your contractor’s control.

How will I be able to recognize your crew and what will their average working hours be?

Know how you will be able to identify everyone on the landscaping crew and their vehicles. It is also helpful to have an idea of what their workdays will look like. Of course, some things might impact their schedule but ask when they expect to arrive and leave.

Choosing Great Goats Landscaping

Mike and his team at Great Goats Landscaping are always happy to answer any questions you have. Give us a call today to talk about how we can help make your yard a place you love to be.