Staying home and staying focused
By Denis Flanagan, Certified Landscape Designer
Well, we are faced with a new reality for now, and keeping busy can be a way of dealing with the situation. What better way than to turn our attention to sprucing up our gardens? We all know spending time outside is good for our health and wellbeing. Landscape Ontario as always is here as a credible resource. The following are five tips to help you get started in your yard this spring.
Raking leaves and winter debris
If you have mature trees and shrubs, consider raking your leaves into a natural mulch under the trees. Otherwise collect the leaves in bags for recycling. What a great activity for all ages! Be careful when removing leaves on top of perennials and spring bulbs their tender shoots are just starting to emerge.
Pruning
Many plants like astilbe, sedum and echinacea still have last year’s brown stalks; they should be cut off two or three inches above the soil surface. Most roses can be pruned down to about eight inches tall. Avoid pruning spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilacs until after they have bloomed.
Fertilizing
Most flower and vegetable gardens benefit from a sprinkling of well-balanced fertilizer. After a thorough raking, lawns should be treated with high nitrogen fertilizer.
Planting
Although it’s a little early to be planting directly into the garden, there is still time to start flower and vegetable seeds inside the house. This is a great activity for all ages. Contact your local garden centre to ask for suggestions.
Designing
If you are considering a garden renovation or a brand-new landscape, now is a great time to research styles and budgets. Visit Landscape Ontario.com for hundreds of inspirational photos and information on how to connect with a professional landscape company.
Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association is one of the most vibrant associations of its kind, comprised of over 2,500 member companies, ten sector groups and nine local chapters. Its trade mission is to promote the horticulture industry in Ontario, and its public mission is to promote the joys and benefits of green spaces. For more information visit www.landscapeontario.com.
