Everybody has that one neighbour who, every winter, aims to turn his or her house into a private version of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
If you live near any of our Tree Amigos staff, it might even be us!
But even if you aren’t competing with Clark and Ellen Griswold (characters in the film), mid- to late autumn is the perfect time to put up seasonal lights that celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Diwali or Kwanzaa.
There is something about those soft, welcoming lights that accent our homes, sending out a message that all is well within; that the darkness outside cannot penetrate our spirits.
Putting them up now, though, sure beats putting them up when the snow is flying, or when temperatures have dropped to below freezing.
* Decorate for the holidays now. Putting up your seasonal lights is much easier when you aren’t wearing gloves and a parka. If a ladder is involved, it’s safer to use one when the ground is not covered by snow or ice.
* Trim trees and shrubs that might cause damage to your home in a storm. This is much easier to do when the temperatures are still sitting between 10C and 20C.
* Wrap shrubs and add protective mulch to herbaceous borders.
* Plant spring bulbs now, before the ground freezes.
* When you are finished with the garden prepping, it’s time to drain hoses and store them until spring arrives. Don’t forget to turn the water off at source, then open the spigots to keep them from freezing.
* Put patio furniture away, along with summer’s lights, umbrella or decorative pots.
* Find snow shovels, car brushes and ice melter and store where they can be easily accessed in case of sudden storms.
If you need a little help getting your list completed, Tree Amigos’ services for autumn include pruning; protecting your shrubs; adding mulch to protect small plantings; removing excess leaves; cutting back annuals; aerating and overseeding lawn and applying fall fertilizer. Now is a good time to add trees, too, and plant bulbs for spring.
While our Tree Amigos experts don’t suggest you go all out to emulate the Griswolds, we do suggest you begin to at least plan your holiday lights now.
From our own experiences, we can tell you that putting your seasonal lights up before snow flies is the smart thing to do.
It may have been funny in the movie, but we don’t want you to be like Clark Griswold!
If you need some assistance completing your autumn chore list for your beautiful yard, just reach out to our experts at Tree Amigos. Call 905-937-5353, or request a quote by visiting the contact page on our website, at http://www.treeamigoslandscaping.com/contact
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