Landscape architect Adam Latham of The Howland & Higgins Company in Rehoboth, Mass. said that come fall, people try to beat the clock and the nature’s hard freeze.

Professional landscaper Chuck Staton of Staton’s Landscape Inc. in Warren, R.I. said autumn is a great time for landscaping because rainfall, warm days and cool nights make it the prime time for preserving lawns until the next spring.

“It is best to seed or over-seed, fertilize and lime lawns in September and October. Fall should also involve aerating, turf repair work and de-thatching, by using a machine with a variety of blades to cut into root zones and pull up dead material and stimulate new root growth,” he said.

According to Mike Carmello of Piece of Green Landscaping Inc. in Warren, watering is imperative throughout the fall and there is a fine line when fertilizer should be applied, as once temperatures become too cool, the lawn needs to sleep.

“Fertilizing in the fall helps nourish the lawn at the time when its roots grow the most. By mid-November, winterizer should be spread, which will feed the lawn steadily until spring, and lime should be spread, which becomes effective three months after it is laid,” he said

Fall is also a time to take care of trees and shrubbery.

Mr. Latham said during the winter his company mostly works on real estate projects and design work on residential projects, for those who want to be first in line for next spring.