Goodbye summer, we hardly knew you! But the fall season is now well and truly upon us. Bringing its own heady mix of pleasures and gratifications. And surely, as September ebbs into October, there are plenty of beautifully bright, crisp and sunny autumnal mornings to enjoy. As well as, many good times to be had both indoors and outdoors. Even as we brace ourselves for the new set of risks that come with a winter with COVID-19. For many of us, the garden will become even more of a refuge in these colder months. We’ll be taking advantage of the fact that we have our own little sequestered piece of the natural world at our disposal. A place in which we can relax and convalesce in the presence of plants, trees, flowers, fresh air and, of course, the people who mean the most to us. In this post we will touch upon keeping your garden safe this fall, so that you may enjoy it once again, in the spring.
Image by Kadri Vosumae via Pexels
But with the fall comes a new set of challenges for gardeners, both aesthetic and practical. If you let it, the season can easily take over your garden in a flurry of decomposing leaves, matted grass and unwelcome bugs. If your garden is likely to
Make sure your paths are clear
Your garden paths will likely see more footfall than usual this autumn and even over the winter. At a time when the outside world is much riskier. Even outdoor interactions carry a degree of risk. The idea of getting together in the garden may seem much safer than throwing a dinner party or meeting up with friends in restaurants and bars. So make sure your paths are clear before your garden get togethers. Especially if you are likely to have kids or elderly relatives in your garden.
Make sure leaves are raked and composted. You may want contact landscaping services by Sacramento tree experts to help you if you are in the area. As the months grow colder you may need to use a snow blower to keep your pathways clear. See this here to find out how to start one up. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.
Get aggressive with weeds
Most weeds are pretty benign, but there are a few that can be dangerous, especially to pets and young children. Jimsonweed, pokeweed, and poison oak are just a few examples. What’s more, some weeds can get even more aggressive in the months between fall and spring. Now’s the time to be vigilant and make sure that as many weeds as possible are plucked before they become obscured by fallen leaves and / or snow.
Trim that lawn!
Finally, as tempting as it may be to let your lawn grow out until spring, this can be detrimental both to the health of your lawn and your garden safety. Unkempt grass can not only be a trip hazard to playing children, it can mask all kinds of unpleasant things from bugs to discarded toys. These could be painful if you should trip and land on them.
Trim your lawn down to roughly 1.5 inches removing no more than a third of the blade. This is the optimal length to keep it until sprung rolls around.
This post is a collaboration and may contain relevant, relatable affiliate links. All opinions are our own and for informational purposes only.