The time when you will enjoy your outdoor area the most is in the summer. And, hopefully, in the Seattle area, this will occur in June or July of next year and NOT late August! Most of us, being the procrastinators we are, put off designing and/or planting our new garden area until too late in the Spring and then we need to wait a full year before our plantings are mature enough to be really enjoyed! With just a little bit of fall planning (and planting!) this can be avoided.
In most situations (except for small renovations), a design is required. If your new landscape is a complete redo and you are installing hardscape, such as a patio, stone walkway, or water feature, you can complete the entire project in the fall and enjoy a stress free early summer outdoor experience. Or you can have your project completed in phases: the design can be developed in late summer/early fall followed by preparing the hardscape in the late fall/early winter. The plant material is added early in the spring after the danger of frost has disappeared. Installing your project in phases is also a great way to manage your budget.
Too many times homeowners do not get inspired to develop that new landscape they’ve been dreaming of until a stretch of good weather hits the Seattle area. Then our phones start ringing off the hook! Everyone wants to be serviced right away!
Even if you want to do most of it yourself, it can be time consuming and with the many demands we have on our time, giving ourselves a good nine months head start really makes sense.
Not only is fall planning the BEST for your plants (over the fall/winter/early spring months the roots of the plants get well established in the ground) it is the BEST for you!
