A Cabbagetown, Toronto Front Yard Fall Cleanup

Time to Tidy Up a Toronto Garden in the Fall

It's November and another work season is coming to an end but not before I tackle a bunch of fall cleanups. These involve cutting down many herbaceous perennials that are entering dormancy here in zone 5 Toronto, raking leaves out of garden beds, light pruning of trees and shrubs for dead, diseased or crossing branches and planting spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc.

Cabbagetown Toronto Front Yard 
Fall Cleanup before 

My client, Marian, has asked me over the years to plant dozens of bulbs in her small Cabbagetown front garden whenever I visit in the fall and this year is no exception. 

Cabbagetown Front Yard 
Fall Cleanup before

Toronto Cabbagetown Front Yard 
Fall Cleanup before

Cabbagetown Toronto Front Yard 
Fall Cleanup after 

I always cut down "soft and collapsing" perennials in autumn which include daylilies and hostas. In the picture above, you'll see I left alone the mass of lilyturf (Liriope muscari) to the right and the small patch of yellow Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') in the upper left corner. This gives the garden some visual interest until the snow buries everything in January onwards.

Cabbagetown Front Yard Fall Cleanup after 

Previously a hedge of "Diabolo" Ninebark spanned this sidewalk bed shown above and below but it suffered from severe powdery mildew every year so it was removed. As an inexpensive solution, I suggested planting two varieties of hostas in groupings. The Virginia Creeper growing in and about the fence was the client's idea. I warned her about this vine's wandering tendencies!

Toronto Cabbagetown Front Yard Fall Cleanup after 

You may notice in the "after the cleanup" pictures above some gray pieces scattered on top of the soil. These are processed hen manure pellets which apparently deter a Toronto tulip grower's worst nightmare: squirrels. After planting the various bulbs, I sprinkled some pellets which act as a fertilizer as well as a deterrent.


We'll see how effective this product is next spring!