The temperatures are dropping, the colors are changing, and the kids are back in school - that means fall is upon us! And, true to its name, fall brings with it the piles of leaves and all the yardwork that comes along for the ride. We know, we know - as far as all the joys of fall go, constantly raking leaves isn’t quite up there with pumpkin spice lattes and getting your favorite sweaters back out. But it doesn’t have to be as big of a chore as you’re expecting! There’s a few steps of preparation and readiness you can take before it gets too far into autumn to help lighten the load and make your yardwork that much easier! Keep On Mowin’: A lot of people assume that since winter is around the corner, you don’t have to maintain your hard as much. However, maintaining your normal mowing and watering habits can actually maintain your yard’s health through the rest of the year and lighten your workload in spring. As winter approaches, drop your mower’s blade to its lowest setting to make sure your yard is as short as possible to prevent compost and dead leaf buildup through winter - that way when spring comes you’ll have less work to do, and it will keep your yard looking and feeling better all year long! Plant Some Spring Bulbs: Fall might not sound like the most obvious time to start planting, but a little long-term planning will help everything look nice next year. Take a second to free up some space to plant your favorite spring-blooming bulbs to add a little color once the leaves are gone and the sun comes back. Prepare Your Hoses And Faucets: As the temperatures drop, it’s going to be a little harder to use water outside - and that can cause a lot of damage on your pipes. Disconnect all of your hoses (after you’ve watered the yard once or twice more) and roll them up to be safely stored on your favorite garage storage for use next year, and then turn off the water going to the outside faucets and taps to make sure your pipes don’t freeze and burst as the temperature drops. One Last Weeding: While you might be tempted to let the cold weather handle all those pesky dandelions you’re still dealing with, the truth is you might want to be a little more proactive. Most weeds go into sort of an energy-storing mode for fall and winter, and if left unattended they might be able to spread their seeds and come back even stronger and more widespread next year! Do one more pass of pulling weeds out the old fashioned way before the leaves start to bury everything. Finally, Put It All Away: Once your yard has been all tidied up, it’s probably time to put your yard tools away - other than your trusty rake, of course. Get some rust-proof wire shelving or garage storage racks to hold up your lawn mowers, weed whips, and all the other tools you won’t be needing over the next few months to keep them neat, organized and out of the way. And that should be it! Keep these tips in mind and not only will your fall yardwork be a little easier, your yard will thank you when spring comes back around!