Garden Muses: A Small Toronto Gardening Services Company Blog: A Don Mills, Toronto Garden Fall Cleanup

31.10.18

A Don Mills, Toronto Garden Fall Cleanup

Saying Goodbye to the Veggie Patch for the Season

It's Hallowe'en today but nothing spooky about this post. I'm wrapping up my work season with a bunch of fall cleanups booked for all of November and the only scary part is trying to rake leaves in the snow!

Mary Anne, my client here, has this backyard located in the Don Mills area of Toronto. I usually drop by in the spring, mid-summer and late October to tend to things. The garden isn't too large or complicated and typical for the size I work in. At this time of the year, I'm removing "annuals" (plants which will not survive outside during the winter for us in zone 5 Toronto) from containers and emptying the pots of container soil, cutting down perennials (most but not all if the client prefers), and raking leaves out of and removing weeds and non-hardy plants from garden beds.

And these tasks were exactly what I accomplished here in this post so no surprises.

Don Mills Toronto Fall Cleanup Backyard Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company

Looking up the main garden bed,
this end is the vegetable patch.
Several tomato and pepper plants
were yanked out and the small
rhubarb was cut back.

Don Mills Toronto Fall Cleanup Backyard After

Fall Cleanup Before in a Don Mills Toronto Backyard by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Services Company

The veggie patch from the side with
some non-hardy zinnias hanging in
on the left side.

Fall Cleanup After in a Don Mills Toronto Backyard

Don Mills Fall Cleanup Backyard Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener

This end of the bed has a few hostas,
phlox and irises which were cut down as well.

Don Mills Fall Cleanup Backyard After

Toronto Fall Cleanup Before Don Mills Backyard by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Services Company

This semi-circular bed has a "P.G." Hydrangea
standard "ringed" with run of the mill green hostas.

Toronto Fall Cleanup After Don Mills Backyard

Toronto Fall Cleanup Before Don Mills Backyard by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company

More hostas to deal with, as they
are entering into dormancy.

Toronto Fall Cleanup After Don Mills Backyard

Fall Cleanup Before in a Don Mills Toronto Backyard by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company

Mellow yellow fall foliage of balloon
flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus).

Fall Cleanup After in a Don Mills Toronto Backyard

Toronto Fall Cleanup Before Don Mills Backyard by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener

I usually ask clients not to cut down
ornamental grasses like this mass
planting of Feather Reed Grass
(Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)
in the autumn because of their excellent
winter interest but this narrow rectangular
section is immediately below the main
rear windows and not easily seen so...