Seasonal Maintenance

Seasonal garden maintenance is the practice of caring for your garden in rhythm with the changing seasons. Plants, soil, and wildlife all have different needs throughout the year, so good maintenance adapts as the weather shifts. It’s the practice of performing specific tasks—pruning, planting, feeding, and cleaning at the exact time they will benefit the plants most. This page shows the seasonal activities which need to take place.

This is the busiest time of year. The focus is on preparation and "waking up" the soil. ♦ Clean up, remove winter mulch, dead leaves, and debris. ♦ Soil needs preparation, add compost or organic matter to garden beds. Feed plants with a balanced fertilizer. ♦ Pruning may be needed; this depends on the species, cut back ornamental grasses and perennials left up for winter interest. ♦ Early planting may be required, start hardy vegetables and summer-flowering bulbs. ♦ Divide perennials that have become crowded. Plant new shrubs, trees, and hardy perennials.

This is all about keeping the momentum going and managing the heat. ♦ Watering: Deep, infrequent watering (usually early morning) to reach the roots. ♦ Deadheading: Removing faded flowers to encourage more blooms. ♦ Weeding: Pulling weeds before they go to seed and steal nutrients. ♦ Mulching: Adding a layer to retain moisture and keep roots cool. ♦ Pest and disease monitoring ♦ Lawn care: mowing, edging, and occasional feeding ♦ Harvesting fruits, vegetables, and herbs

Preparation for dormancy begins here. It’s the best time to invest in next year’s success. ♦ Planting Bulbs: Get spring-flowering bulbs (like tulips and daffodils) in the ground. ♦ Dividing Perennials: Split overcrowded plants to create new ones. ♦ Leaf Management: Raking leaves (and ideally composting them!). ♦ Protection: Bringing tender plants indoors before the first frost. ♦ Leaf clearing to prevent rot and lawn damage ♦ Cutting back spent perennials ♦ Soil improvement with compost or manure

The garden is sleeping, but the gardener is planning. ♦ Tool Maintenance: Sharpening pruners, cleaning shovels, and oiling wooden handles. ♦ Hard Pruning: Trimming deciduous trees and shrubs while they are dormant. ♦ Protection: Wrapping delicate shrubs or checking on stored tubers. ♦ Planning: Reviewing what worked and ordering seeds for the spring. ♦ Leaf clearing to prevent rot and lawn damage ♦ Planting bulbs for spring displays ♦ Cutting back spent perennials