As Autumn starts to sweep in across the UK, it’s time to take a look at your garden and get it ready for the change in season. While we often associate autumn with colourful leaves, darker nights, and cosy jumpers, it’s also an excellent opportunity to revamp your outdoor space. Keep it fresh and usable throughout the year. If you don’t use your garden much during autumn and winter, it’s also good to prepare it for those seasons so it’s not such a huge task as we head into the following Spring. So let’s read on for some expert tips for your autumn garden: Bradford and Halifax.
1. Autumn Patio Refresh
Transform your patio into an inviting autumnal retreat. Swap out your summer cushions with some fluffy throws and soft pillows for added comfort during cooler evenings.
2. Fire Pit Central
Install a fire pit or outdoor fireplace as a centrepiece in your garden. It will add a lovely warm, inviting element and you’ll be able to keep using the space even as temperatures start to drop.
Top tip that our kids love(even now they’re older!): get some wooden skewers and some of those huge marshmallows from the supermarket. They’re yummy when toasted slightly over an open fire. 😊
3. Deck Care
If you have a wooden deck, it’s essential to give it some attention before winter. Clean and re-stain it to protect it from moisture and cold weather damage. You can also add some outdoor rugs to make it cosier.
4. Autumn Arbor or Pergola
Create a focal point by building an arbor or pergola entwined with climbing plants and plenty of fairy lights for a magical glow in your autumn garden on an evening. Curl up with a blanket and a good book as the sun goes down.
5. Lawn care
As the weather gets cooler, it’s a great time to give your lawn a bit of TLC.
- Use a lawn aerator to perforate the soil and allow better airflow to the grass roots. This will help water and nutrients reach the grass more effectively.
- Regularly remove fallen leaves from your lawn. This will stop them from smothering the grass and should also stop anything from rooting from the top.
- Adjust your lawnmower height for the last few mows of the season. This helps prevent long, damp grass which isn’t good for your lawn.
- Autumn is a good time to sort out those persistent weeds. Make sure you’re using a weed killer that’s suitable for grass as we wouldn’t want you to kill your lawn with kindness.
- Repair any damaged areas of your lawn by loosening the soil, adding fresh topsoil and reseeding with grass seed.
6. Driveway maintenance
Give your driveway a bit of love before winter sets in. A good wash down will definitely help and you’ll be amazed how much dirt comes off! If you have block paving, it may benefit from a top-up of kiln-dried sand in the joints but you will need a dry day for this.
7. Furniture and Outdoor Kitchens
Invest in durable furniture and outdoor cooking equipment. A visit to the garden centre might even be good for your pocket at this time as year as most garden furniture is on sale!
It doesn’t need to be summer to entertain your friends and family in your outdoor space. Keep everything protected with a weatherproof cover when it’s not in use and it’ll last you for years. You’ll find a wide range of these in most DIY shops and garden centres.
8. Leaf Control
Keep a leaf blower or rake handy! It’ll help you to quickly clear paths, patios and seating areas as and when you need to. If you can, don’t leave it until they’ve all got sodden because then they’ll become slippery underfoot. Leaves left in borders and planters could start to suffocate your plants and shrubs too.
9. Garden lighting
Keep the spaces you’ll use lit up during the darker evenings. There is so much choice now when it comes to garden lighting but choose what’s right for you. It’s all down to personal preference whether you want to brighten a space or have some ambient light. Fairy lights scattered in different areas will provide more light than you think.
10. Child and Pet-Friendly Autumnal Garden
Create a play area for children and pets that’s season-friendly. Nobody wants mud dragging through their home but there are ways to make it practical without this happening. Rubber crumb, artificial grass, and play bark all offer a soft, safe play area with no mud!
Here at Kettlewell Groundworks, we fence off the lawn area for the winter months to stop the dogs from creating a mud bath through the living room! It sounds a bit mean but we have a large patio area and once was enough for four sets of muddy paws in the house!
Autumn is a great time to check any boundaries too. Make sure walls and fencing are going to hold up to the winter weather and if not, fix them before it’s too late.
It’s the perfect time to get the kids involved in some planting. Sunflowers and pumpkin seeds are child-friendly and they’ll love watching them grow.
By following some of these expert tips for your autumn garden: Bradford and Halifax, you’ll have a comfortable and functional space to use the whole year round and less work to do when Mr Sunshine returns!
Kettlewell Groundworks: Landscaping for Bradford, Halifax and the surrounding areas
If you have a landscaping project in mind for the coming year, now is the best time to contact us! Our diary for the following year is usually open around September time and our Spring months fill up fast. Don’t miss out!
You can quickly and easily book an appointment online here or, if you’d like to find out more about our services, give us a call on 01274 981995.
We update our website regularly with our work and our blog is a great resource if you’re struggling to decide on the right materials for your garden, how to maintain them etc. If you hop onto our Facebook or Instagram you’ll see what we’ve been up to recently too!
We hope you’ve found our expert tips for your autumn garden: Bradford and Halifax useful. If you need a little guidance on how to choose the right landscaper for your garden, download our free guide “How to Choose the Right Landscaper” here. 😊
