The Autumn of the year is a great time for enjoying outdoor activities
Zinnias are a reminder to me that we have arrived at the autumn of the year, a time to plan outdoor projects for Autumn that allow us to enjoy the best season of the year.
1. Clean your gutters. In the Midwest, cleaning your gutters is crucial because of freezing and thawing. Make sure all of the drainage areas are free of leaves and debris. Debris in your gutters causes standing water which can bend your gutters and cause them to pull away from the house. It can also force water up under the roof shingles which can rot the roof decking. Probably the easiest and least expensive project and it keeps you outside. Read more for tips so you may not even need a ladder.
2. Prepare your gardens and landscaping for winter. The fall of the year can be a very pleasant time to play around with your landscaping and gardening by adding fall plants and also preparing for spring. There are many plants that are still in bloom at this time of year that add color and there are many that can be added. Chrysanthemums and pansies (see more) are 2 of my favorites that come to mind. There are also many decorative cabbages. Many plants benefit from being divided every few years. Spring- and summer-blooming plants can be divided in the fall. Pruning in the fall can be dangerous but it is a good time to trim dead branches out of trees. Fall is also a good time to mulch before the first hard frost. Then clean all garden tools before storing for the winter.
3.Take a day trip to a Missouri Winery. One of my cousins owns and operates OakGlen Winery is Hermann, MO. Wow! is all I can say about the beauty of this locale on the bluffs of the Missouri River. But that’s true of all of the wineries within a gas-tank ride of St Louis. If you haven’t spent an afternoon on one of the hillsides of these vineyards, sipping wine and listening to live music, you haven’t lived. Here is a list of the wineries and some of the B&B’s if you decide to make it a weekend.
4. Add some outdoor lighting for curb appeal. To me the worst part of the fall is that the days keep getting shorter. Adding outdoor lighting to your home can be a outdoor project for Autumn that not only adds aesthetics but also improves security. There is no question that adding curb appeal adds value. There are some bright new ideas in exterior fixtures: porch lights now come equipped with LED lighting for all night use, and a motion sensor that clicks on an incandescent bulb to provide extra illumination as you approach the front door. Hybrids use about 5% of the power a solely incandescent fixture requires. Or how about a gooseneck outdoor light for your grill. Solar do much better now with electricity-sipping LEDs, more efficient photovoltaic cells, and better batteries. Read more.
5. View the fall colors. There are so many places in the midwest that radiate the beauty of the land. Take a rest from all of your troubles and take some pictures of them this fall:
Take a drive on the Great River Road near Elsah, Ill
Midwest Living lists our own Missouri Botanical Gardens as a destination for a fall getaway
Schedule a trip west on Route 66 (now I-44) towards St John’s Gildehaus on October 28 for their incredible sausage dinner
Take the family on an apple picking adventure: Centennial Farms in Augusta Mo; Blue Heron Orchard in Canton, MO (about 2.5 hours); Eckerts Orchard in Belleville, Il
An amazing fact about the seasons in the Midwest, whichever one I am in is the absolute best.
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