When the end of summer approaches, your outside spaces may be screaming for special attention. Yard maintenance can seem like a hassle when you just want to sit and savor the backyard oasis you’ve enjoyed all summer for just a little bit longer. But to draw out your enjoyment through the fall and even into winter, the time to perform important maintenance is now. Here are five must-do projects to tackle now for your DFW home, before summer’s just a distant memory.

Pool Clean Up

Whether you have a permanent pool or one that gets put up and down each year, it’s going to need some end-of-summer maintenance. Begin by checking out any of the pool’s mechanical components. If wear and tear is evident, it’s better to address now than to wait while further issues may arise from sitting too long over the winter. Once your mechanical parts are addressed, you’ll next want to carefully clean both the outside and inside of your pool, or any pool surroundings you may have. Number three on your pool yard maintenance must-do list is addressing structural issues cleaning may have revealed. Finally, tear down and carefully stow non-permanent pools, or cover your permanent pool and ensure your water and filter systems are set to run below certain temperatures so your pool doesn’t experience freezing and cracking.

Seasonal Landscaping

While your perennial plants may still be blooming or are patiently hibernating to come back up next year, your spring and summer season annuals may be fading quickly. To keep your yard looking tidy through the fall, consider some of these beautiful annuals that come out to play as the weather starts to cool.

• Mums
• Sage
• Pansies
• Blue Fescue
• Ornamental Cabbage

Store Toys

Whether or not you have children, you probably have toys in your yard — special lanterns used during the summer, movable misters, decorative tchotchkes, or actual toys and sports equipment. Cleaning them up as part of your end-of-summer yard maintenance means more than tossing them in a bin or bag until next year. First determine which are actually still in good enough condition to last until next summer — some summer fun items are really only meant for one season of use, like non-refillable tiki torches. Next, drain, clean, polish, or otherwise spruce up your equipment before it is stored — leaving things covered with grime may lead to wintertime erosion. Finally, store according to each item’s needs. Whether that includes wrapping the item carefully in paper or bubble wrap and placing it in a temperature controlled area, or simply putting it aside safely until it’s needed again.

Pavers and Patios and Paths, Oh My!

The bricks and concrete pieces that comprise your outside gathering and walking areas may have gotten tons of use this summer, leading to cracked pieces, missing pavers, and disintegrating paths. The time to fix is now, before the temperatures fall off and make maintenance miserable. If a company has installed these areas, check to see if your warranty may cover issues that are beyond normal wear and tear. If not, big box retailers may have great end-of-summer yard maintenance sales that allow you to fix up your space to enjoy through the fall and into next summer.

Get Ready for Fall

Falling temps don’t have to mean your outdoor time has to end. Your last end-of-summer yard maintenance project is a fun one preparing a fire pit or fireplace to use through the cooler weather. Whether you simply install a bought fixture or roll up your sleeves and build your own, you’ll be setting up your yard for a whole other season of fun.

Image Source: Flickr/Kirt Edblom

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