Our 5 Favorite Fall Plants for Your Garden
Fall is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to rotate the inhabitants of your garden. Fall plants offer just as much charm as their spring and summer counterparts. But what can you nurture in your garden that screams fall’s warmth but is still colorful? Here’s a list of the top 10 best fall plants for your garden! AUTUMN SEDUM Autumn sedums bring life to any fall garden with their fresh foliage of star-shaped flowers that either sit in a cluster or spray out to showcase their ever-changing colors throughout the season. ASTERS If you want to bring a little wildflower essence to your fall garden, asters would be a great choice to make. These small daisy-like flowers can be planted at any time of the year and add subtle charm with their blue or purple petals. If planted in the fall, asters can also be a final source of nectar for pollinators, which are greatly attracted to the plant’s scent. Easy to grow and known for their durability, these fall plants come in a variety of sizes with unique blossoms that begin as pink, develop to bronze rose, and ultimately flourish in deep red. CHRYSANTHEMUMS As the meaning of its name implies, the “golden flower” chrysanthemums originally came only as gold, but now they’re found in a variety of colors, from the most vibrant reds to the softest lavenders. Chrysanthemums are amazing fall plants for any garden because of their balance of youth and maturity and limitless possibilities of design. HELENIUM Heleniums are simple plants to grow and are a top choice for any garden, whether it’s in the planning stages or already in blossom. These lovely flowers range from gold, red, and brown and come in a wide range of styles and sizes. Because of these unique traits, Heleniums are more than capable of being the solo plant species in a garden, as it provides a world of interest all on its own, with not one bed identical to another. SHRUB ROSE Shrub roses are hardy fall plants with long-lasting times of bloom and have a natural resistance to disease! Able to be planted from spring to fall, these plants are easy to care for. They also require little hassle or later nurturing. Their color ranges from humble white to eye-catching purple. This makes the garden arrangement a breeze when pairing with your other plants.
Getting Your Home Fall-Ready
Fall is right around the corner. With it comes dropping temperatures that can damage your home. How are you preparing your home for this transition from summer to autumn? Well, there are lots of steps you can take to keep your home cozy and efficient in the fall season. These are easy and affordable everyday activities you can do as part of your annual home inspection. They include: Clean, Organize, and De-clutter Cleaning, organizing, and de-cluttering your home gives it a tranquil and simplified ambiance into fall. Then, start by scrubbing all surfaces, including windows, doors, floors, and home appliances. Next, empty and organize your fridge, pantry, and storage areas. Here, check the expiration dates of your food supplies. Throw expired food, and donate the foodstuffs that won’t make it to the fall season. Third, de-clutter and donate your summer clothes and shoes. Also, clean and replace your bedding, towels, and linens. Decorate Your Home Did you know that installing cozy wallpaper or adding a vintage runner to your entryways can warm up your home for fall? And you can use your pottery and glassware to accessorize and create a fun centerpiece as a focal point in your living room. Donate your unused items in the store and turn the extra space into a hideaway room complete with accented lighting, a reading table, a lamp, a bed, and cozy pillows and blankets. Hang your woven baskets and add some fresh fall flowers for a tasteful look. Inspect Your Installations Not only should your home be clean and attractive, but it should also be functional. That’s why you should inspect your installations to confirm that they are in tip-top shape. Now is the best time to scrutinize and clean the filter furnace and change the humidifier filter too. Next, check the air quality in the attic. Here, you want to confirm that the insulation is working; all the air vents are clean, dry, and mold-free. Seal any air leakages into the attic to prevent ice dams from forming in winter. Finally, check for cracks in and outside your home. Call a professional to assess and repair any rift at least an eighth of an inch wide. Carry Out Preventive Maintenance Fall season Preventive maintenance will save you unnecessary utility bills and repair costs. Have the gutters clean and debris-free, with water flowing freely through them. Add a drain spout extension to divert water away from the foundation. Ideally, you want water to drain 4 to 6 feet away from your home. Next, inspect and repair any visible damage on your windows, door frames, and surrounding drywall. The weather-stripping should be secure to prevent drafts responsible for escalating heating bills. Test and replace fire alarms and carbon monoxide detector batteries. And reverse the ceiling fan to push the heat down from the ceiling to the floor. Work With a Professional Some areas around your home require professional handling only. For example, ask a professional to clean your chimney. And contact an HVAC professional to check the ductwork and tune up your heating system. Then, as a rule of thumb, call an expert to address any concerns you have after inspecting your home. A savvy homeowner is proactive in preparing their home for fall. Then, use the tips above to enjoy a comfortable, safe, and cost-efficient transition into the cooler season ahead.
How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard
Getting more of nature’s feathered visitors takes more than just birdseed. That’s why we are sharing how to attract more birds to your yard. Read on for the best tips to help attract hummingbirds to your home! Tip #1: Location Where you place your bird feeder matters when it comes to attracting more feathered friends to your yard. If you seek to attract more than one type of bird (i.e., hummingbirds and sparrows), setting up a feeding station is recommended. If you have space, you can also separate your feeders since different birds have different ways of spotting food. Tip #2: Choose the Right Bird Feed Once you have established where you are putting your feeders, you’ll need to choose what you are putting in them. An easy-to-make mistake for those starting out is choosing a bird feeder that’s low quality. While you may not think birds are particular, you would be wrong. If you want your bird guest to make return visits, invest in quality bird feed. Choose the type of feed that will meet the nutritional needs of the kinds of birds you want to attract. Tip #3: Install a Bird Bath When it comes to attracting birds to your yard, there’s more to it than just the feeder and food assortment. Regardless of type, all birds need water; that’s why we recommend installing a birdbath as a way to attract even more birds to your yard. Just make sure you keep both the bath and the feeder clean for your safety and the birds. Tip #4: Add Color Surprisingly, birds love color, and the brighter, the better in this case. Similar to humans, they are some of the few animals that can also see in color. They rely on it for their day-to-day way of living and existing. Colors like red can be great for hummingbirds, with yellow and orange being known to attract birds, Orioles, and Goldfinches. Tip #5: Get a Birdhouse If you want to make a lifelong friend out of your backyard visitors, make them feel at home. We’re not saying leave your door open and set them up in the guest room. On the contrary, we’re talking about birdhouses. If you have young children, this can be a fun way for them to color their own birdhouse for the yard. Otherwise, we recommend choosing a size and type of birdhouse based on the size and type of the feathered friend you seek to attract.
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