Now’s the time to get your private home and backyard prepared for winter – Marin Impartial Journal

Autumn begins this month and with it the beauty of the colorful, falling leaves, the softer sunlight and the slowly disappearing summer blooms and crops.

Now is the time to plan and execute in dry and warm weather all the projects that were postponed during the summer, including such large projects.

Here are a few that could be on your hit list.

• Clean the garage. Take a weekend away, collect big bags or boxes and order a garbage box if necessary, then put on your favorite music. If you can’t stand doing the garage on your own, swap favors with a friend or hire someone to help you.

Pull out everything that has been collected over time and assess whether it is worth keeping. If not, donate, sell, or toss it. It’s liberating.

Consider adding a garage floor for the things that are impossible to part with or buy, or build a garden shed for outdoor gear, toys, or bikes.

When the garage doesn’t need cleaning, there may be a room in the house where invisible, disregarded items gather. Whatever space it is, challenge yourself to clear it. You will feel great afterwards.

• Check your roof for broken tiles or damaged shingles. While you are up there, you may want to clear the gutters if they are not protected by foliage protection.

• Finish any painting project, whether it’s house cladding, an interior or a piece of furniture, before it rains.

Andy Templeton / Orange County Register

Take some time to clean your garage.

• Check your fence line. Make sure the posts and boards are sturdy enough to withstand winter storms so that you can breathe easily the next time you surface.

• Consider collecting rainwater in a barrel or cistern this winter. According to the Marin Municipal Water District, “just 1 inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof produces 600 gallons of runoff” that can be used for irrigation. You can find the discount program for water production on the MMWD website.

• Hire a chimney sweep to inspect and clean your chimney. Sweeps are generally affordable and well worth the price for your safety.

• Clean and store the items used for summer entertainment such as floats, umbrellas, pillows, beach chairs and towels, and barbecues.

• Fall is also a good time to inspect and clean large appliances such as the oven and dryer opening. A handyman can do this if you can’t.

• The garden changes with the season. If you’re visiting the local plant nursery over the next few months, look for cool-season annuals to spice up your yard.

Put them in pretty garden pots near the front stairs or door for a nice welcome. They will also add pops of color when added to a garden bed or used as underplanting for larger plants. Remember to fertilize them during the season.

• Also upgrade your welcome mat if she needs it.

• Check the condition and structure of the trees in your landscape. If they don’t look healthy, or if the branches look dangerous or need to be thinned, hire an arborist if it is not safe for you to self-medicate. You won’t worry about branches falling down in the next storm.

Photo by Elizabeth Jardina

Look for flowers for the cooler season to spice up your garden.

• Fall is perfect for planting spring onions. If you see them in bulk at garden centers, splurge and plant them en masse for the best effect in the garden.

If you like the look of forced amaryllis or daffodil during the holidays, stock up on them when you see them too.

• Maintain your fertilizing, weeding and spraying routine as needed to maintain a healthy landscape.

• Learn from experts this fall and be inspired. Join a gardening club or take in-person or virtual classes offered by local nurseries and organizations.

Indicate

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin house I would love to hear about it.

Please send an email describing one (or both) what you love most about it and a photo or two. I will publish the very best in the next few columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 and a resident of Marin.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertainment topics every Saturday. She can be contacted at PO Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.