Make The Most Of Fall With These Outdoor Projects

As we all try and check things off our outdoor maintenance list for this fall, I thought I’d throw a few new ideas onto the table to complement your efforts in fall landscaping, gardening, and lawn care.

Make a permanent place for your firewood

If you have a wooded backyard, you can likely relate to the constant upkeep involved with pruning branches and clearing fallen limbs. This outdoor firewood storage unit is the firewood management solution that I wish I had built 5 years ago. Its 3-sided construct is made from a single fence panel, and it sits atop two reused pallets. The top, a heavy-duty corrugated roof that matches my modern doghouse, is durable and will help keep the wood sheltered so that green branches can completely dry.

Plan for to your spring herb garden

If you’re cleaning up tree trunks this fall, keep in mind this easy upcycle: a log herb planter. Carve it out now, give it all winter to dry in a shed or garage, and it will be ready to plant within next spring.

Update your curb appeal

Any change in seasons is the perfect reason to update your outdoor decor. This year, I rid our entryway of a ragged out woven doormat and created a beautiful, cedar all-season doormat. It’ll serve us well this fall, and transition perfectly into the snowy winter months.

Make an easy update to your home with new house numbers. These numbers were cut from cement board which is extremely durable for outdoor decorating purposes, and also gives you the flexibility to create house numbers in any font and size that you wish.

Organize your outdoor accessories

Just like you swap the sandals for the sweaters in your closet, take a day to organize your shed. Move the winter accessories like the snowblower, shovels, and roof rake to the front, and the lawn and garden equipment to the back. Bonus points if you make extra floor space in your garage by getting your bicycles and children’s toys onto the wall.

Think energy efficiency

Take this as an opportunity to learn how to install solar panels. Fewer leaves on the trees may mean more sunlight on the roof of your house, garage, or shed. Do research to learn more about how fast you can recoup your investment in energy savings, and check with your local electric company too – in some areas, if you generate more solar energy than you use, you may be eligible to sell your overage for cash!

Looking ahead? Here are 5 projects to plan for next Spring:

• Boost your curb appeal in a weekend
• Don’t let stereotypes scare you, bats are extremely helpful creatures that help control the bug population, so why not build them a safe cedar bat house? Fewer bugs will translate to a more comfortable backyard, and fewer pests to disturb your garden can help to yield healthier plants and better crops. If you live in a warmer climate, you may be lucky enough to see bats roosting immediately. In colder regions, expect to be host to a new family come springtime.
  

• Plan for new transplants (and if you want to get a jump start now, Fall is one of the best times of year to transplant!)
• Springtime lawn and garden maintenance