According to Coldwell Banker, weed control is easier when you have a thick lawn of healthy grass. Healthy grass will choke out most weeds, so this is another reason to keep the lawn watered and mowed. You might want to consider planting seasonal grass seed if you’re selling a house in the cool season. According to NG Turf, fescue grass is a type of grass that stays green all year in most places. The best time to plant fescue grass is in the fall, but it’s something to think about. Otherwise, you may have weeds to tend to, and keep in mind that they can spiral out of control rather quickly if you don’t stay on top of them!

If you have plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, and/or a garden, weeds love these spots, and you probably already know how tenacious some of them can be. Additionally, watch out for any weeds that are perennials, according to Lawn Doctor, as they must be totally removed by the roots, or will only continue to thrive and spread. Annual weeds may seem like more of a nuisance, due to the fact that they can keep popping up several times in a year, but are typically more harmless overall.

Colder and shorter days means most of us aren’t nearly as productive or motivated during the winter. But before you bust out those comfy pants and queue up a Netflix marathon, there’s one last thing you need to do. As you finish up with the rest of your fall lawn chores, remember to care for the tools you’ve used all season long. Tools left dirty and unattended will likely not be much help next season.

The lawn mower does a dirty job that causes a lot of dirt, grass clippings, and stick debris to get caught in its mechanisms. To ensure it will work properly next summer, prepare your lawn mower for winter by giving it a good cleaning and taking it to the mechanic for a tune-up (via Popular Mechanics). All that dirt sitting for months will deteriorate the machine, and you won’t get as many years out of it as a result. Since these aren’t cheap items, you’ll want to ensure you care for them as best you can.

Other garden tools such as rakes, shovels, pruning sheers, and weed whackers will need some TLC as well, according to HGTV. Removing any dirt, sap, and rust is the first step. Next, you can use a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush to clean them up. This takes little time, and your tools will thank you next spring.

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As with everything else, landscaping trends come and go. Staying abreast of the latest in landscaping trends—and phasing out plants or outdoor decor that are no longer en vogue—is an easy way to keep your curb appeal high and, if you’re putting your home on the market anytime soon, potentially increase buyers’ interest in your home. Which landscaping fads are now past their prime? Read on. While change may be hard, a refresh will serve thy yard well.

1.Garden Statues

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Garden gnomes, yard flamingos, and other garden statues have been longtime outdoor staples. However, modern landscapes place a greater emphasis on the plants and natural elements of a space than on plastic or plaster trinkets therein. Statues, especially an excessive number of them, can pull attention away from a yard’s natural beauty. While statues used to be the star of the show, they often just get in the way and can make a property look cluttered.

2. Boxwood Shrubs

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Boxwood shrubs remained widely popular following their introduction to the US at the turn of the 19th century, but their popularity has slowly waned. One likely reason is the way these shrubs’ unnaturally straight lines disrupt a landscape’s flow. Additionally, current landscaping trends value low-maintenance plants. With the attention and care needed to keep boxwood shrubs looking pristine, many homeowners may not find them worth the effort anymore.

3. Colored Mulch

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Dyed mulch is officially passé. It became popular in the 1960s and endured for years afterward, and now colorful mulch really dates a property at a glance. Worse, some mulch colors are made with hazardous substances that could contaminate your soil or water, or even threaten the health of children or animals.

4.Artificial Grass

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A low-maintenance, no-mow lawn sounds like a dream, but it may be time to let artificial grass go. Beyond looking unnatural, fake grass also poses some environmental risks (despite saving on water). It doesn’t provide a habitat for native animals and microbes, and it can even threaten aquatic life with contaminants in water runoff after it rains.

RELATED: These 10 Eco-Friendly Design Trends Will Be Everywhere in 2022

5. Too much hard scaping

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Hardscaping, which focuses on items like archways, stepping stones, and fire pits, can still add great visual appeal to a yard—when used in moderation. While it may have been forgiven in past years, letting hardscaping elements take over your softscape can kill your curb appeal in 2022. Aim to keep the natural landscape the main focus of your outdoor space, and add in just a few hardscaping elements where desired.

6. Brick Barriers and Borders

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Other past-its-prime landscaping features that can make your home look outdated are brick borders and barriers. These are now viewed as a waste of usable garden or lawn space—after all, the area taken up by brick could be better served growing ornamental grasses, flowers, or other greenery. Another downside to surrounding plants with brick borders is that they’ll be in the way should you decide to extend your garden beds further down the line.

RELATED: The Invincible Yard: 17 Ideas for Lazy Landscaping

7. Garden signs

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Exterior signs with fun labels and messages reached a new popularity peak last decade, but the trend is on its way out. Though they aren’t landscaping elements per se, we’d be remiss not to inform well-meaning green thumbs and grill masters that wooden signs dishing out gardening philosophies—or pointing to the location of the tiki bar—simply doen’t impress the way they once did. If anything, these garden signs only distract from the very things they should call attention to.

8. Tuscan Courtyard…in Tulsa

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Mediterranean tile courtyards and Japanese zen gardens can be stunning, but they may not exactly gel with your house or neighborhood. Although many cherish the backyard as a refuge from the everyday, landscapes that clash heavily with a home’s style and surroundings are falling out of favor. Taking inspiration from around the globe and adding variety to your garden is still in style in 2022, but incorporating native plants and local materials that complement your home’s exterior and natural environment is a better way of going about it.