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Fall is a magical time, but it also means less sunlight and progressively colder temperatures for Toronto. With summer over, your backyard can still be a place to get fresh air and enjoy what nature offers.
To enjoy crisp air and colorful leaves, you can use these six tips to create the perfect fall hideaway.
1. Build A Firepit
There is nothing like curling up near a firepit on a crisp fall evening. The warmth of the flames can help you feel cozy while the light illuminates your yard and loved ones. It provides an excellent venue for making treats like ‘smores. You could also place a grill grate on top to prepare your favorite dinner.
Ghost stories, songs, hot apple cider or just enjoying the fall weather can help you embrace the season around your fire.
You could purchase a fire pit, but it might be cheaper to build your own. Creating your firepit lets you customize it for your yard. Surround a metal fire ring with brick or stone. Keep it on a non-flammable surface and you’ll have a space to enjoy every autumn.
2. Soften Your Sitting Area
As temperatures decrease, sitting outside can be less comfortable. It’s hard to enjoy your backyard when metal or plastic chairs that worked all right in the summer are too cold to spend much time on. Softening up your porch, patio or other seating area can help.
Plush items can help you warm up on a chilly day to enjoy the fresh air and autumn breeze. Place an outdoor rug under your feet, cushions on your chairs and fall-themed pillows to mimic a luxurious living space.
Consider setting aside some blankets to take out when you want to curl up, read a book, enjoy tea or watch the leaves fall. A soft, plush space can help you live your fall fantasy.
3. Plant Fall Flowers
Flowers aren’t just for spring and summer. Some varieties thrive in the cooler temperatures autumn brings. Mums, black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers are blooms that can add beauty to your yard this season. You can visit your local garden center to find them for a container or the ground.
While you can enjoy those blooms throughout autumn, fall is also the perfect time to plant spring bulbs like tulips, hyacinths and iris. Doing so gives them time to establish a root system before going dormant for winter and popping up in the spring.
Planting now gives you a clean bed of soil you can decorate while letting the ground do its work on your future flowers. Consider decor options, like pumpkins, scarecrows or fall statues to place on or around the garden.
4. Get Help From Hay
Hay bales and hay rides are standard fall features, but you can use dry grass to decorate and navigate your yard. Often, poor drainage and excessive rain make backyards muddy messes. Hay can cover the mud to save your shoes and clothing.
You can spread hay around your yard or get hay bales to stack in a fall display. It is an insulating material that can help keep an outdoor area warm on cold days. If you enjoy seeing wildlife in your yard, hay can help provide warmth and nutrition to rabbits, squirrels and other local creatures.
If you or someone in your household has allergies to hay, you can still enjoy the aesthetic by getting artificial bales at a craft or decor shop.
5. Create A Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkins are the unofficial mascots of fall, and bringing them into your yard can help you celebrate the season.
You can create a pumpkin patch in your backyard without managing vines. You can often find pumpkins at farmers markets or grocery stores that you can arrange in a display that makes you feel the autumn spirit whenever you view it. You could choose small pumpkins, giant pumpkins or a mixture of sizes. Spread them along your fence line or pile them in a portrait-friendly backdrop.
To personalize your patch, you can paint your pumpkins with different designs. It’s a great fall activity to involve the entire family. If you celebrate Halloween, you can transform some of the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.
6. Invest In Solar Lighting
Autumn means less sun, making enjoying evenings in your backyard difficult. Solar lighting is an excellent, cost-effective way to illuminate your backyard so you can enjoy it throughout fall.
Many companies make decorative lights meant for outdoor use, allowing you to enjoy fall vibes while seeing where you walk. Solar options charge on cloudy or overcast days, saving you money on batteries or electricity.
Most solar lights are automatic, meaning you don’t have to worry about turning them on and off every night. Some even come with the option to change colors to match each season better.
Creating A Fall Oasis At Home
You don’t have to travel to embrace what autumn offers. Adjusting your space and getting creative can make a fall oasis in your yard one that you won’t want to leave.
About The Author
Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded, where he writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Check out @TModded for regular updates!
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