Summer is in full swing, but the fall season will be here before we know it! This is a great time to do a little cleaning and dust off the cobwebs to give your home a fresh, new feel.

Cleaning out and sprucing up your yard are good low-cost alternatives to major home improvement. Whether you hire a professional or have the skills and tools to do it yourself, here are some tips from an HOA board to improve your lawn and landscape in the homeowners association.

Weeding, edging, planting beds and mulching go a long way toward improving a yard’s look.

When kids play on a lawn that gets impacted from summer heat and drought, it can get damaged.  Spruce it up by reseeding with a fertilizer on the day you seed the lawn.  After that, just keep the seed and young grass watered, and hold off on any weed controls until the new grass has been mowed 4 times.

Planting colorful fall flowers

Planting flowers - such as mums, asters, or pansies - in beds or pots around the house and patio, in hanging plant holders or in flower boxes makes a house look cozy and cared for.

Heading into the fall, you may want to plan ahead for your perennials and vegetable garden. When your perennials are past their bloom and your vegetable garden is done for the year, don’t forget to cut them back. You'll help keep bugs and disease away. While you're at it, use what you cut to start a compost pile.

To solve problems or add interest, plant new trees and shrubs to create focus areas.  This can also be used to camouflage foundations and old fencing in the homeowners association, or block unsightly views. Early fall is a great time to plant a tree or shrub because the weather is mild. Getting the roots planted in the fall will allow them to start growing early in spring.

Keep up on general yard maintenance

Have your trees and shrubs professionally pruned, fix brown spots in the lawn, and remove and replace diseased plants. If you don't have one already, set up a bird feeder to attract colorful birds to your yard. This could be a fun project for you and your family!

Homeowners who want help with their yard should seek an evaluation by a professional lawn or landscape firm. A professional can assess the health of the lawn, plants, trees and shrubs and offer recommendations for improvements. As a starting point, ask your HOA board who the Association uses for landscaping.