As the summer heat gives way to sweater weather, school begins again and the holiday season approaches, the desire for an outdoor space to enjoy the autumn season arises. Luckily plenty of options are available—from landscape design to unique and interesting additions and more—to craft the perfect place for fall festivities and holiday hosting.

Let It Grow
By and far, autumn is famous for its vibrancy. While spring brings along its rainbows; summer its sand-filled days; and winter coats the world in white; fall's warm palette of reds, oranges and yellows is so majestic, folks travel from around the country to view the foliage of the Northeast.

Fortunately, it's possible to bring that beauty right into your own yard.

"There's three types of interests when it comes to the fall: leaf color, bark color and berries," says Richard Cording, Sr., owner of CLC Landscape Design. "[In terms of leaf color,] one plant that my designers really like is fothergilla. It gets a bottle brush-like flower in the spring, but its leaves turn a very attractive bright yellow or purple in the fall. ... Then there are barks that can look attractive like a variegated red twig dogwood or coral bark maple. Both of their branches turn a striking red as you go into late fall and usually keep the red for the entire winter. Some viburnums also will look great in the fall [adding in that berry element]."

Fall doesn't have to be the only season your yard is in full, glorious bloom. Careful planning and knowledgeable landscapers can help to create a landscape that can maximize the beauty of every season.

"Choose plants with multiple seasons of color," says Jeremy Martin, owner and designer at Willow Gates Home & Landscape. "Ilex verticillate—also known as winterberry or deciduous holly—drops its leaves in the fall but has a stunning display of berries in red, orange or yellow. They are highly adaptable and can be used in rain gardens. Callycarpa, or beautyberry, has beautiful arching branches with lavender flowers in the summer and lavender berries in the fall."

"Fothergilla has a fragrant white flower in the spring and fall foliage that ranges from yellow, orange, red or even purple," he continues. "It's a wonderful alternative to the commonly used euonymus or burning bush that can be highly invasive."

While spring has its reputation as the season of life, the best time to plant may actually be the fall. Cooler nights and warmer days allow the plant to grow deep roots before going dormant in the winter. Come spring, the plant is already equipped with strong roots ready to take on the stress the summer heat brings.

Fall Favorites
As the holiday season approaches and the flurry of school activities ramps up, the need for a peaceful retreat becomes as important as ever. The cozy vibes, smells and colors of the fall season certainly lend themselves to this cause, but crafting the perfect outdoor space can go a long way in reducing stress while getting some fresh air.
Swinging seating like a hammock or swing chair can help to provide a weightless feeling. Birdhouses and hummingbird feeders can help to attract visually interesting birds, promoting a grounding connection with nature. Likewise, the addition of water features brings soothing sounds to your relaxation retreat, mimicking our own interconnectedness with water.

"Any feature that has moving water will provide the soothing sounds of water. This can be anything from a beautiful, cascading waterfall to a simple bubbling rock or fountain," says George Mihalchick, owner of Ponds by George. "Not only is the sound of water soothing and relaxing, but to just watch 'water in motion' is magical and almost addictive."

Water features can be incorporated into your backyard design in a myriad of ways. From rustic or modern design to natural koi ponds or bubbling urns, there's plenty of options for every budget, aesthetic and need.

On the flip side, fire features can add a social element to your backyard area. Tabletop or built in firepits and outdoor fireplaces can become a great space for friends and family to gather around, having discussions long into the night. Providing both heat and light, firepits are a great addition to a fall atmosphere and with plenty of options in fuel, material and size they're ideal for yards of all sizes and budgets. In some cases, fire features can work alongside water features to create a unique and stunning conversation piece.

Fire features don't stop at firepits and fireplaces however, as they can also be incorporated in more useful ways such as an outdoor 'pizza' oven. These ovens can provide a little extra fun to dinner, paving the way for pizza parties and beyond.

"Pizza ovens are great fun for everyone," says Chris DeMato, owner and operator of Rock Bottom Landscaping & Fencing. "You can actually cook a lot more than just pizza in those ovens, because the temperatures get extremely hot. They're also great for cooking steaks, fish and things like that."

If you've had your mind set on more of a larger backyard project, consider an outdoor living room.

Outdoor living rooms complete with seating, a television and more can truly turn your backyard into an extension of your home. This can not only extend the life of your space beyond the summer months, but open the door for plenty of memory-making moments. Enjoy the fresh air of the season as your fantasy league gathers around to watch football outside, get the family together for game night under the stars or host a wine night around the fire.

The first and most important step to this process, according to Cording, is consulting with a knowledgeable, licensed landscape architect.

"We don't think in terms of specific materials; we create outdoor living spaces. We think about the use of plants, fireplaces, location, how you're going to access it or view this space from inside your house," he says. "As landscape architects, we're taught how to develop a property that harmonizes the client's wishes with the site and nowadays, what's become critical is what the town will allow you to do."

In the end, your backyard should be a reflection of your own interests. The 'right' additions to your backyard all depend on your intentions with the space and creating zones within your yard can help decide upon multiple elements without an overcrowded feeling.

Lighting the Way
With earlier and earlier sunsets, it can be hard to enjoy the outdoors into the evening hours. The moon's limited light provides plenty of opportunities for you and your guests to trip over or bump into obstacles. Ample lighting is the key to avoiding such circumstances.

"Tasteful lighting means the party doesn't end when the sun goes down," says Martin. "In general, it's best to keep the fixtures unobtrusive. Never create 'glare bombs' where the lights are shining in your face."

Uplighting mature trees like Japanese maples, path lighting, undercap lighting in seating and retaining walls, and downlighting trees to create a moonlight effect are just some of the options he suggests to create visual interest and avoid late night tripping hazards while maintaining a nighttime feel.

Preparing for Winter
As temperatures begin to cool and the winter season approaches, it's important to take inventory of your yard, making any repairs and performing maintenance now to ensure a healthy, thriving environment come spring.

"A lot of people figure they'll just wait until the spring to address problem areas, and sometimes that's not a good idea," says DeMato. "For example if you have a damaged piece of concrete or a sunken area of pavers around your pool, icy winter can get under those areas and as the ice forms it creates more problems—continuing to grow into the next section of concrete or pool edge."

Maintenance extends to landscaping as well, which includes cutting back many perennials and ornamental grasses and taking care of fallen leaves.

"Another big mistake that I've seen over the years is that people tend to let leaves set on their lawn throughout the winter season and figure they'll clean them in the spring," he continues. "That will definitely result in a lot more damage to your lawn."

For those with a pond, it's especially important to address any issues it may have to limit the stress on its living inhabitants throughout the winter.

"Every year [you should] clean the pond of all debris by cutting back all the water plants and cleaning all the filters and netting the pond to keep the leaves out of it," says Mihalchick. "The cleaner your pond or water feature is going into the winter, the healthier your fish will be during the winter months as they go dormant and the easier your pond will be to clean in the spring."

Proper maintenance is the key to protecting your backyard investments.

It's important in all seasons to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the home you've created; fall just happens to come alongside stunning views and perfect campfire weather. It's a cozy time ideal for reading outside, enjoying the football season, hosting family and friends, and so much more. Each backyard should be as unique as its homeowner—capturing all the needs and wants to become the outdoor space of their dreams.

RESOURCES
CLC Landscape Design
Ringwood, N.J.
(973) 839-6026
CLCDesign.com

Ponds By George
Southampton, Pa.
(215) 396-7500
PondsByGeorge.com

Rock Bottom Landscaping & Fencing
Belle Mead, N.J.
(732) 873-6780
RockBottomLandscaping.net

Willow Gates Home & Landscape LLC
Mohnton, Pa.
(717) 341-0540
WillowGatesHome.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 25, Issue 7 (September/October 2025)
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