Summer gives Chicagoland homeowners time to enjoy their outdoor spaces. It also gives them the opportunity to notice things about their property they’d like to change. Maybe they’ve noticed that an area in their backyard has become too overgrown or their patio area doesn’t seem big enough anymore. But when you don’t notice this until the end of summer, it can be difficult to know if there’s enough time for a large landscaping project before winter weather arrives.

Instead of waiting until spring to start your next project, you can still do certain landscape or hardscape projects in the fall. For projects that need more time, you can start planning now so that by the time spring rolls around, you know what you want to do and how you want to approach it.

Start With What You’ve Noticed This Summer

As a homeowner in Chicagoland, you’ve probably spent the past few months experiencing your landscape while barbecuing dinner on the patio or weeding in the flower bed. You’ve also probably noticed things that aren’t working as well or looking as good as they used to.

With these observations as a starting point, you can talk with your family or landscaper about how you want your space to look or function differently next year. If you’ve identified the problem but aren’t sure what next steps you should take, you can work with a landscape professional to come up with a detailed plan and schedule.

What Can Still Get Done This Fall

Depending on timing and weather conditions, fall can still be a good time to install trees, shrubs, and perennials in the North Shore. The cooler air puts less stress on newly planted vegetation, and the soil is still warm enough for roots to establish before winter.

Homeowners can also use the fall to clear out overgrown areas and remove plants or debris that are getting in the way of a larger landscape change. Some larger projects like a major patio expansion may have too long a timeline, but other updates like garden borders or landscape edging may still be realistic.

The timeline can look very different from one landscape project to another, so it’s worth looking at the work you have in mind before deciding it needs to wait. If you begin talking to a professional landscaper now, you’ll get a good idea of what plans you can get done this fall.

Planning Now Takes Some of the Pressure Off Later

What keeps some homeowners from making these decisions is feeling uncertain about what they want to do with their property. While they may know they need a change, they don’t know exactly what they want or what materials and plants would work best for the space. Without the whole project mapped out, it can be hard to take those first steps.

At SanFilippo Landscape, our team is here to work through these decisions with you. We’ll learn about your property and what you want to change, and we’ll help you determine what materials and plants make sense for your space. You might start by telling us about your overgrown beds or an area of your yard that isn’t working the way you want it to. As we talk through the plan, you may find that the changes you have in mind call for something larger, like new landscaping or hardscaping.

Landscape planning takes work, and beginning the conversation with us early this fall means you have time to think about your project instead of starting over next spring when the season is already getting busy.

Thinking about a larger landscape project? Read more about SanFilippo’s approach to landscape design.

There’s Still Time to Make a Plan

Fall isn’t necessarily the time to put your landscaping plans on hold. If you’ve spent the summer thinking about changes you’d like to make to your landscape, now is a good time to start the conversation with SanFilippo Landscape. Tell us what you’ve been thinking about, and we’ll help you figure out what makes sense for this fall and what can wait until spring.

Contact our team to discuss your project and reserve your place on the fall schedule.