Year-Round Gardening

Dormant Oil Application

Dormant oil sprays are used to treat over-wintering insects and fungal diseases on fruit trees and bushes, roses, crabapples, and some ornamental shrubs during their dormant season. Timing your application is key. It should be applied when temperatures are consistently above 5°C and not expected to drop below freezing for at least 24 hours. It must also be applied before the buds of your plant have cracked open to prevent foliage damage.

Spring Clean Up

Early spring is the best time to do a deep, thorough cleaning of your garden beds. Try to leave it as long as possible to not disturb the hibernating pollinators that are nesting in the old foliage and organic matter. This cleanup can include removing any large debris from the ground, pruning back dead foliage and stalks on herbaceous perennials, cutting off dried flowers on shrubs that were left for winter interest, and a deep, thorough weeding.

Remove Dead Evergreens

While it's too early to tell whether the deciduous (leafy) shrubs have survived winter or not, it should be clear for your evergreens at this point. Any that have browned by more than 50% are unlikely to recover and can be removed to make space for something new.

Spring Pruning

Early spring is the optimum time to prune shrubs that flower later in the summer or fall, including hydrangeas, roses, and dogwood. Waiting to prune puts you at risk for cutting off your blooms for the upcoming year, so it's best to do it early. Pruning can be used to remove old blooms from the previous year, reduce its size, prevent rubbing branches, or mold the plant to a desired shape.

Plant Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

These plants are much more hardy than annuals and can be planted as soon as the ground is soft enough to dig. Planting early also means they have a better chance to establish before the heat of the summer.

Bulb & Early Spring Planters

Introduce some bright colours to your space with early spring planters! Use spring-flowering bulbs that have already been potted and grown, along with pansies, as they all love the cooler weather and can tolerate light frost (roughly -2°C). Stick with planting in containers so you can bring them inside if you need to or be prepared to cover with a frost blanket.

Plant Cool-Season Veggies

Vegetables that love cooler weather are great to start your gardening season with. This includes carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and more. Temperature tolerances vary between vegetables so check before you plant.

Divide & Transplant

If you have any herbaceous perennials (hostas, daylilies, etc.) that you want to divide and/or relocate to another spot in your garden, early spring is a great time! The only perennials that should not be touched at this time are early spring-flowering species like columbine, helleborus, creeping phlox, and peonies.

Remove Dead Deciduous (Leafy) Shrubs & Perennials

Different plants start to leaf out at different times in the spring, which can also vary depending on the weather. To be safe, leave your deciduous shrubs alone for as long as possible, at least until the end of May. Then, you can test whether your stems are still alive by scraping the bark. If the inside of the stem still has a green shade, the plant is still alive. If it is brown or beige, try snapping a few branches. If they all snap easily, it's likely dead and you can remove it to make space for something new. Perennial Hibiscus are the exception - they will not leaf out until later and should be left alone until early July.

Deadhead Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Once your spring bulbs (tulips, daffodils, etc.) have finished flowering, cut off just below the bloom to prevent the plant from wasting energy on producing seed. This ensures all of the plant's energy goes back into the bulb to restart next spring.

Stake Perennials

Any perennials that are tall and/or floppy and need extra support should be staked as they begin to grow. Grow-through rings and peony cages are great options.

Start Fertilizing Established Perennials, Trees, and Shrubs

Any plants that have been in the ground for at least two years are considered established and can handle regular fertilizing. You can start now with the fertilizer of your choice at the recommended rate and frequency on the package. If you need help picking a fertilizer, try this guide.

Mulch the Beds

Layer your gardens with a generous amount of mulch (1-2" deep) to help with moisture retention and reduce weeds. Consider it an investment to reduce the amount of time that you will have to spend weeding and watering later in the season.

Lawn Care

Once overnight temperatures are consistently over 15°C, you can overseed your lawn to improve its thickness and repair any damaged patches. This is also a great time to fertilize for spring growth and apply nematodes as a grub treatment.

Plant Summer-Flowering Bulbs

Summer bulbs like dahlias, begonias, and gladiolas are not hardy enough to be left in the ground over the winter, so they have to be planted in the spring. They are normally available at the garden centre in April, but wait until at least mid-May to plant to reduce the risk of frost damaging their growth as it emerges.

Summer Planters & Hanging Baskets

If you're eager to get a jump on the season, start with planting your annual containers and hanging baskets around mid-May. The last frost date in our area is the May long weekend so any annuals outside before this date are at risk. However, containers and baskets can be brought in if the overnight temperatures get too low. If you'd rather not shuffle things inside and out, just wait until the May long weekend!

Plant Summer Annuals

May long weekend is your all-clear date to plant! Almost all of your annuals should be safe to plant in the ground at this point, with the exception of warm-loving varieties like Mandevilla and Bougainvillea (wait until early June for those). As you plant, add a bloom-encouraging fertilizer of your choice and enjoy flowers that will perform straight until fall.

Plant Warm-Season Veggies

Any warm-loving veggies like tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and melons can be planted outside on or after the May long weekend as well. Again, fertilize as you plant, but with a vegetable-specific fertilizer to support production and a longer shelf life of your harvest.

Move Indoor Plants Outside

Any houseplants that you'd like to move outside for the summer can be moved when overnight temperatures are consistently above 10-15°C. The transfer should be done slowly to harden them off to the outdoor environment. Start on a cloudy day or in the morning, and leave them out for 2-4 hours the first day. Increase their exposure time by roughly two hours each day, starting in the morning, until they are out for 12+ hours.

Prune Spring-Flowering Shrubs

Spring-flowering shrubs like Lilacs, Forsythia, and Viburnum should be pruned a few weeks after they are done flowering, before they begin setting their buds up for the following year. Pruning can be done if you want to remove spent blooms, reduce its size, or prevent rubbing or crossing branches.

Prune Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Once the foliage of your spring-flowering bulbs has completely yellowed and collapsed, you can cut it off just above the ground. Removing the foliage before it yellows will remove energy from the plant and weaken your bulb for the following year.

Water

Water, water, water! Regular watering of established planting is important in periods of drought. Anything newly planted within a year or two will need additional water to make it through the hot summer months. To learn how to water properly, take a look at this guide.

Weed

Not only does pulling out weeds clean up the look of your garden, but it also ensures that they aren’t taking water and nutrients away from your other plants. Try to remove the entire root when pulling to prevent it from regrowing and weed as often as possible to keep the job small. Leaving weeds for weeks or months will make them harder to fully remove or let them produce seeds that will turn into more weeds next year.

Pest & Disease Maintenance

Make it a habit to monitor your plants closely at least once a week to catch problems quickly. Insects like Japanese Beetles, aphids, and box tree moth are common, as well as airborne diseases like powdery mildew, black spot, and rust. Some issues are purely cosmetic while others may cause stress or death for a plant. They all have different treatments, so proper identification is vital. Feel free to contact us with photos if you need help.

Deadhead

Pinching off or pruning old flowers on a daily to weekly basis will encourage the production of new blooms and prevent the plant from wasting energy on producing seed. This practice can be applied to some perennials and shrubs, but is most important for your annuals.

Harvest Veggies

Reap the rewards of your hard work so far by harvesting your veggies as they ripen. Make sure to do this regularly so you make the most of your harvest and don't lose any to unwanted dinner guests like squirrels, bunnies, or birds.

Replant Succession Veggies As Desired

Some vegetables have a short season like carrots, beets, and salad greens. These benefit from succession planting where, every few weeks, you can plant or sow another round of your chosen crops. This way, as one round finishes, your next round is ready to start harvesting.

Stop Fertilizing

By August, it's time to stop fertilizing your perennials, trees, and shrubs so they can start to conserve energy for the winter. Fertilizing at this time of year will waste energy on new growth that will be killed off by first frosts.

Bring Plants Inside for Winter

Any houseplants that have lived outside for the summer or annuals you would like to try over-wintering should be brought inside when overnight temperatures reach below 10-15°C at night. Make sure to do a thorough inspection for pests and/or isolate them indoors for at least three weeks before introducing them to the rest of your indoor plants.

Plant Perennials, Trees, & Shrubs

Take advantage of sales! Fall is a fantastic time to plant with cooler weather and plenty of rain, and most garden centres will have end-of-season sales on their hardy plants.

Refresh Your Annuals for Fall

The annuals you planted in the spring are likely looking tired now from performing all summer. Pull out anything that is no longer thriving and replace it with annuals that prefer cooler temperatures and are frost-tolerant. These include mums, pansies, ornamental peppers, kale, cabbage, and more.

Fall Containers

While replacing the annuals in your garden, update your containers as well. This is also a great opportunity to incorporate a fall colour palette.

Take Out Summer-Flowering Bulbs

Once your summer-flowering bulbs have finished for the year, let the foliage yellow and die off naturally to ensure your bulb has enough energy for next year. Once the foliage has dried, prune off the stems just above the ground, then dig up and store the bulbs indoors in a cool, dark space so that they don’t sprout over the winter.

Plant Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Fall is the time to plant any bulbs that you want to see in your garden next spring, including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, muscari, crocus, allium, snowdrops, and more. They start arriving at the garden centre at the beginning of September. While you can plant as long as you can dig, the ideal time is late September to October. It should be cool enough that the bulb doesn't start producing foliage, but also have enough time for it to root in before winter. Later planting will just result in a later arrival in spring and a weaker plant, as the bulb will have a smaller root system.

Plant Garlic

Garlic is highly recommended to be planted in the fall as it requires a cold period (vernalization) to properly form its bulbs. This also gives it a longer growing season, which will produce a larger bulb for harvesting. Plant in late September to October (similar to spring-flowering bulbs) and cover them with straw, leaf debris, or mulch to insulate them for the winter.

Light Fall Cleanup & Pruning

Leaving the majority of your garden cleanup for spring is preferred for a few different reasons. Keeping old blooms and seed heads like panicle hydrangeas, coneflowers, or grasses provides interest in the winter. Leaving leaves and plant debris provides nesting space and material for beneficial pollinators and birds. Leaving seeds or fruit on your plants also provides a food source for birds on their migration journey.

That being said, it is important to prune any prolific seeders in the fall, like Rose of Sharon, so they do not drop seedlings that you have to spend next year removing. It is also important to remove any diseased foliage, like powdery mildew, black spot, or rust, to reduce the likelihood or severity with which it returns next year. If the disease is on herbaceous perennials, prune the stems off just above the ground. If the disease is on a woody shrub or tree, collect any fallen leaves or branches. All diseased material should be bagged and disposed of (do not add it to your compost pile).

Last Veggie Harvest

Just before the expected first frost of the fall, harvest any remaining veggies in your garden and process them to store for winter.

Divide & Transplant

If you have any herbaceous perennials (hostas, dayliles, etc.) that you want to divide and/or relocate to another spot in your garden, September to early October is another great time. The only perennials that should not be touched at this time are any that are still in bloom, which can be divided in the spring instead.

Compost Application

Adding compost to your garden every fall requires very little effort but has fantastic benefits. It will add organic material and nutrients to your soil, improving its quality and your plants' health over time. Apply 1 bag (25-30L) per 10 square feet of garden of the compost of your choice. It will break down over the winter months and be ready to feed your plants by spring. If you need help picking a compost, try this guide.

Water Changes

Watering should be slowed down in September to help the plants harden off for winter. However, a final soak just before the ground freezes (normally late October or November) ensures the roots are full of water and prepared for the winter. An extra layer of mulch can also be applied around the base of your trees and shrubs to prevent the loss of moisture over the winter season.

Shelter & Protect

Although they are considered hardy, some plants benefit from added winter protection with burlap. When wrapping with burlap, place 2-4 stakes around the plant, roughly 3-6" away from the stems. Then, wrap 2 layers of burlap around the outside, leaving the top open to create a wind screen where the burlap does not touch the plant directly. This technique should be used with newly planted evergreens for the first 1-3 years, and tender trees and shrubs such as Japanese Maples, rhododendrons, azaleas, and evergreens in exposed, windy areas.

Protect Trunks from Chewing Damage

Chewing damage is one of the leading causes of death for established plants. Protect the base of your woody shrubs and trees with protective measures like tree spirals or corrugated plastic tubing.

Tool Maintenance

Clean, sterilize, sharpen, and repair your garden tools before storing for winter.

Reflect

Take this time to look back at what has thrived in your garden over the past year and what did not do very well. If you’re so inclined, some people keep records or a journal to keep track of their garden’s history and what they have learned throughout the year.

Learn

Use this time to learn a little more about your garden and the plants that are in it. You can read articles, watch videos, and even attend a seminar or two. We host free seminars on a range of topics every Saturday morning in our quiet season (typically January to March, mid-summer, and fall). This also offers a great chance to enjoy the warmth of the greenhouse in winter. See if there are any scheduled in our Upcoming Events.

Plan

Figure out if there is anything currently in your garden that you want to transplant to another location, divide and gift to a friend, or remove entirely. Once you have that figured out, you’ll know exactly what space you may have to fill with a new plant once it’s spring. Brainstorm and research to find a plant that suits your space, sun and water conditions, colour, and texture preferences.

Consider Salt Impacts

Throughout the winter, pay attention to where you are spreading salt or de-icer and shovelling your salted snow on your property. Salt run-off or salted piles around the garden can kill even the toughest of plants.

Try a Houseplant

Get your gardening fix indoors over the cold winter months by bringing the greenery inside! Start with one or two houseplants and before you know it, you’ll have an indoor garden that is just as beautiful as your outdoor one.

Start Seeds

If you have an interest in starting any of your annuals, perennials, or veggies from seeds, you’ll need to start early. Most garden centres will start carrying seeds in January or February, but not everything should be started at the same time. Figure out what varieties you’ll be interested in, when our last frost date is, and how long before last frost they can be started. You can then take those numbers and do the math to figure out when to start each of your seeds.