With the cooler, wetter autumn and winter seasons on their way, now is the ideal time to act on those outdoor renovations and upgrades you’ve been planning. Maybe it’s a swimming pool and cold plunge, a covered kitchen area that extends the use of your outdoors into early winter, or a worn walkway that needs an upgrade to prevent it from becoming a tripping hazard.
At Landscape Solutions, we recommend homeowners note the upgrades they’d like to make to their outdoor spaces while relaxing in them during the summer months, and then plan for mid-to-late August projects. If a luxurious outdoor retreat at home is something you’ve always wanted, now’s the time to get started.
Why Late August Is the Right Time for Outdoor Residential Renovations
The quiet stretch of summer you’ve enjoyed since June is also the best planning window you’ll get all year. You’ve had months to notice what’s working on your property, what isn’t, and what you’d like to add.
A late summer landscape plan in consultation with our design team turns your list of must-dos into a construction schedule that gets ahead of fall’s shorter days and ensuing downpours. This is why late summer landscaping is smart; it puts you ahead of seasonal changes and lets you progress at your own pace instead of scrambling to book busy crews and waiting longer for materials.
There’s also Middle Tennessee’s clay-heavy soil to consider. Once the rain sets in, foundations can be more difficult to work with. This is especially important for landscape renovations in Nashville and surrounding estates in Brentwood, Franklin, and College Grove, where drainage, grading, and hardscape should be in top condition by the end of summer.
Screened Porches Stretch the Outdoor Season
A screened porch is another high-value summer landscaping addition that extends the amount of time you can enjoy your outdoor spaces. Instead of retreating indoors to escape pesky mosquitoes or because of a cool snap, you gain a protected area that stays comfortable from spring through late fall. We design these to feel like a natural extension of your home’s architecture, integrating appropriate rooflines and using materials and finishes that complement your property.
Cohesive Walkways That Tie Everything Together
If your stone, paver, or flagstone walkways have started to heave, crack, or shift, late summer is the right time for a walkway landscape renovation. Beyond the safety issues an uneven path presents, worn walkways can undercut an otherwise polished property. We regrade the base, address any root or drainage issues underneath, and select materials that align well with your home’s existing hardscape so the path reads as one cohesive, magazine-worthy design.
Retaining Walls Built to Last
The many sloped properties that characterize Brentwood, Franklin, and College Grove are easy to admire, but they’re also vulnerable to erosion once autumn’s heavier rainfall arrives. Retaining walls stabilize those slopes, protecting your foundation and keeping mulch and topsoil from washing into your driveway or lawn after a storm. These structural landscape renovations are best tackled while the soil is dry and workable.
French Drains and Dry Wells: Protection You’ll Appreciate During the Rainy Season
Some of the most valuable work we do is with elements most people don’t think about until landscaping problems emerge. French drains and dry wells are two of these elements. They’re designed to intercept heavy downpours and direct water away from your home’s foundation, basement, and crawl space. Nashville’s clay soil doesn’t absorb water efficiently, which means poor drainage can compound quickly once the rain becomes a daily event. Installing this infrastructure now protects everything you’ve already invested in your landscape, from your lawn to your hardscape, giving you valuable peace of mind.
Raised Garden Beds for Nashville’s Stubborn Clay Soil
Our region’s dense clay soil is also difficult to garden in, which is why raised beds have become such a popular solution among our clients. We build them at the proper scale using materials and finishes appropriate for your property. Then we fill them with rich compost and the appropriate soil blends. Getting beds installed and properly conditioned now means you’re ready to plant as soon as temperatures ease rather than losing weeks of the fall growing window to an unfinished project.
Covered Patios and Outdoor Kitchens
A covered patio with an outdoor chef’s kitchen turns your backyard area into a luxurious second living space. With protection from the sun and rain, you gain a zone that functions through the shoulder seasons, not just spring and summer. We can integrate grills, pizza ovens, refrigeration, and bar seating into your layout to suit the way you entertain.
To stretch the season further, we can add a fireplace or infrared heaters along with task and ambient lighting so the space remains comfortable and inviting from morning until night.
Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits
Nothing extends outdoor living across the seasons quite like a fireplace or fire pit. Beyond the ambiance, a well-placed fire feature anchors your outdoor zones, drawing guests together for long, languid evenings under the stars. We build these architectural features using stone or masonry that complements your home for an upscale addition you’ll want to enjoy night after night, season after season.
Pools, Spas, and Cold Plunges for the Ultimate in Resort-Style Living
No matter when clients add a pool, spa, or cold plunge to their outdoor spaces, the key to an outstanding result is precise integration. These features should feel like they were part of the original architectural vision for your property, not something shoehorned into your backyard. We coordinate sightlines and grading so that water features, surrounding hardscapes, and your home’s exterior read as a single, cohesive design that is as beautiful to look at as it is to enjoy.
Paired with a sun ledge for lounging, a relaxing spillover spa, and a standalone cold plunge, these upgrades create the ultimate in an at-home escape from the demands of your day-to-day.
Custom Landscape Lighting for Both Ambiance and Safety
The finishing touch on any late-summer project is lighting. Thoughtful, layered landscape lighting extends the usability of your outdoor spaces and gives your entire property a polished, resort-like feel after dark.
We layer lighting strategically to add both atmosphere and dimension. This includes uplighting on mature trees for depth, downlighting tucked under pergola beams or eaves to impart a soft glow, and path and step lighting for safety along walkways and stairs. Subtle garden bed borders keep your hardscape lines crisp after sunset, and if a pool and spa are part of your design, underwater lighting adds extra panache.
Middle Tennessee’s Best in Landscape Renovations
As a full-service landscape renovation company, we’ve built hundreds of tailored outdoor spaces for properties and estates across Middle Tennessee. Our experts at Landscape Solutions bring artistry, technique, and precision to every project, and we are committed to exceeding expectations. From initial designs through final construction, we work closely with our clients through one point of contact for seamless communication and an efficient timeline. Our landscape renovation services cover everything from patios and retaining walls to outdoor kitchens, fire features, and pool integrations, while our maintenance teams keep your softscapes in tip-top condition year-round.
If you’ve spent the summer noting every upgrade your outdoor space needs, schedule a consultation with Nashville’s 5-star renovation experts. Reach out today, and let’s turn this season’s wish list into next season’s opulent retreat.