better outdoor living at home spring


A Fall To-Do List


Finish your fall clean-up and outdoor projects now before the cold weather hits. Organize and schedule each task for efficiency.

Fall Foliage

It’s that time of year again, when we try to get projects and tasks finished up before the cold weather arrives. As a plus, the cooler fall weather makes it much more comfortable to do outdoor projects. So, roll up your sleeves, get started and enjoy that great feeling of checking things off your list. Ready. Set. Go!

 

 

Things To Do

• Clean outdoor light fixtures to make them sparkle (you may not want to do it once it gets cold!)

• Wipe off the blades of yard tools (shovels, pruners, scissors, etc.) to keep them free from rust, with such products as WD-40. Be sure to unplug electrical tools, and remove cap from spark plugs on gas-powered tools before doing maintenance to them

• Use up the gas in your gas-powered tools; if you can’t use it up, drain the gas from the tool and take it to a recycling center that accepts fuel (it’s not good to leave gas in the tools because it goes bad overtime and can gunk up the fuel lines)

• Check for any small openings in the garage walls and any gaps at the garage door to keep out the cold and any critters looking to winter in your garage; for small openings in a wall, you may want to try using an expanding foam sealant like Great Stuff. For garage door gaps, check the rubber strip seals and replace any that are torn or damaged from wear and tear

• Seal coat the driveway and fill in any cracks (water will filter through the cracks; when the temperatures fall below freezing, the water also freezes causing it to expand, and pushes against the pavement and the base material; overtime this force will begin to break up the base and the asphalt)

• Schedule to have the gutters cleaned out after the leaves have fallen in your yard, and also from the trees in the neighbor’s yards (those leaves will find their way to your gutters, too!) Have the downspouts checked for any blockage. Also, check for any gutter leaks. Next spring you’ll be ready for those spring showers!

• Have a garage clear out and determine if you have enough stuff for a Yard Sale; recycle unused building materials such as drywall, lumber, gutters, etc. by donating these items to a charity such as Habitat for Humanity

• Plant spring bulbs

• Cleanup flowers beds; add to the nutrients of the soil by working mulched leaves into it

• Save seeds from the dead flowers of your favorite annuals you planted in the spring; you can sow them early next spring

• Provide winter protection for tender shrubs and perennials

• Have the trees in your yard periodically checked by a certified arborist or tree specialist for dead or cracked tree limbs; this is not only done for the health of the tree, but more importantly for the safety of your family and friends

• If you are tidying up around the flowering shrubs you may not want to prune them now, for you may be removing the buds of next years blooms, which have already begun to form

• Have your car’s antifreeze and battery checked before winter arrives

• Make a car emergency kit; you may want to include items like flares, reflective triangle, flashlight with batteries, cell phone charger, jumper cable, heavy duty work gloves, duct tape, a whistle, a multi-tool, small first-aid kit; and in colder climates, you may also want to include a blanket, hand/toe warmer packets, and sand or kitty litter (for traction); search ‘car emergency kit’ websites for more suggestions

• Have fun and enjoy the beautiful colors of the changing seasons

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