The leaves are turning and autumn is upon us, which means lots of new options for seasonal styling and landscaping outdoors. Founder and creative director of Landart Landscapes, Matt Leacy, shares his top landscaping, styling and construction tips for creating the perfect autumn outdoor space – that works year-round as well.
"The beginning of autumn is a great time to get outdoors and start landscaping for the cooler conditions," says Matt.
"You don't want autumn to signal a move indoors and less time spent in your outdoor spaces – you ideally want to adapt and tweak your spaces to make them right for the season and to keep maximising their potential," he explains.
Warmth Is Key
"Fundamentally, autumn landscaping is all about bringing warmth into outdoor spaces – introducing features and elements that warm up the spaces to keep them inviting," Matt says.
One way to do this is to increase cover and protection so that wind and rain become less of a factor.
"You might look to introduce some enclosed walls around some key outdoor areas," he adds. "Especially the likes of outdoor living rooms, patio areas and outdoor kitchens, which often get use less in the cooler months."
"If you're considering built forms at the bigger end of the spectrum, backyard pavilions can be a great option, offering loads of covered space for tables, chairs, pots and plants – and lots of protection for outdoor entertaining.
"Covered pergolas, retractable awnings and gazebos can also be really good autumn additions – and you can style the space internally to inject warmth, and then rethink the look and accents as you move into other warmer seasons."
Colours and Materials
"You can also bring lots of warmth into your outdoor spaces by introducing warmer colours," says Matt. "Especially browns, darker reds, and blues. Neutral tones always complement the cooler months."
"I like to do this with cosy coloured cushions, chairs and blankets, which inject warmth and neutral tones via both their colour and materials," he explains.
"Introducing timber into your spaces is also a great way to enhance warmth and organic tone," Matt adds. "You might look to add some timber to part of your bench seating or your fire pit area."
"Exposed brick is another great material for autumn with an abundance of warmth and texture," says Matt. "And stacked fire wood is one of the easiest ways to add the appearance of warmth, as well as serving a practical purpose as you start using the fire pit again."
MORE