Fall Yard Cleanup: 8 Shortcuts for Easy Care

When searching for your dream home, you might discover it comes with more yard space than you’ve ever had — or had to maintain. These fall yard cleanup tips will help you create and enjoy a low-maintenance yard all year round.

#1 Design for Perennials with Different Blooming Seasons

Warmer-weather seasons seem to get all the landscape planning love, but the secret to a beautiful yard is to plant for every season. Plant perennials rather than annuals to ensure the plants will come back year over year. Mix things up by interspersing your favorite spring and summer plants with perennials that are evergreen, change leaf color, or bloom in the off-season.

With the different bloom schedules, your yard will stay visually interesting without your having to purchase and plant new flowers every season.

Colorful fall and winter options. Here are some interesting perennials to consider planting, depending on your hardiness zone:

• Mums
• Japanese maple
• Camellia (pictured above)
• Holly bush
• Winterberry holly
• Yellow and red dogwood
• Hellebore
• Some varieties of hydrangea
• Beautyberry
• Sumac
• Russian sage