26.11.18

A (Final) Toronto Fall Garden Cleanup in Bedford Park

Saying Goodbye to the 2018 Work Season!


It's been another fantastic work season for me as I've met many new (and old) clients, designed and installed interesting gardens across Toronto and made a bit of money along the way. But truth be told, I'm ready to take a break from gardening.

But before that happens, I'll subject you to another post showing a fall cleanup. This should be the last one this year so enjoy!

My client here, named Shirin, hires me twice a year (in May and November) to weed and tidy up the front and back gardens of her rental property in Toronto's Bedford Park neighbourhood. Her tenants, unsurprisingly, do nothing when it comes to looking after the gardens so the beds are very weedy when I arrive.

In the fall, I cut down the soon-to-be dormant perennials and rake leaves from the garden beds around the pool in the backyard and from the parking area in the front. For this visit, Shirin asked me to spread some more topsoil and mulch as well.



Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before


Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Tired hosta foliage removed and
some cedar mulch laid down 


Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
I usually try to persuade a client to leave ornamental grasses alone over winter but since the tenants don't care, the owner asked me to cut them down. It's just one less task I have to look after next spring.


Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening  Services Company
Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening  Services Company
Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After 


Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Garden Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park


Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Garden Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park 


Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park


Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park


Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
This narrow bed contains many herbaceous peonies.
Their foliage were cut down as they present no winter interest.


Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park 


Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden After in Bedford Park by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden After in Bedford Park


Thank you, dear reader, for putting up with all the "before" and "after" pictures. It'll start again, to warn you, next April when the spring cleanups get going but I promise to post pictures of actual flowers and non-work related topics over the next five months. So you get a reprieve!


24.11.18

A St. Clair West Village, Toronto Fall Cleanup (in the Snow)

Raking Leaves, Raking Ice 


Working outside in Toronto in late November as a gardener has few charms. It's cold and often wet but thank heavens it doesn't usually snow. But when it does snow, doing a fall garden cleanup (or more accurately an early winter garden cleanup) is a true test of endurance. 

Another week of this nonsense of working in sub-zero temperatures and I'm done for the work season! But first I'll show you some pictures of my latest fall garden cleanup in the St. Clair West Village area of Toronto.

My client Shirine's backyard is composed of all rectangles: the deck, the paths and garden beds. From a garden design viewpoint, it's a very efficient way of maximizing the use of a narrow and long area.



Toronto St. Clair West Village Fall Backyard Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Toronto St. Clair West Village Fall
Backyard Cleanup Before


Toronto St. Clair West Village Fall Backyard Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Toronto St. Clair West Village
Fall Backyard Cleanup After 


St. Clair West Village Fall Backyard Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
St. Clair West Village Fall
Backyard Cleanup Before 



St. Clair West Village Fall Backyard Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
I left the "P.G." Hydrangea 
(Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora') 
standard alone for the winter and 
will prune the spent brown panicles 
(flowers) next spring.



Toronto St. Clair West Village Fall Backyard Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Ooops, I forgot to shut the shed door



Toronto St. Clair West Village Fall Backyard Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Not much I could do with the ice 


St. Clair West Village Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Several clumps of wilted "Jack Frost"
Siberian Bugloss which, ironically,
didn't respond well to Jack Frost visiting
Toronto. I'll cut these down...


St. Clair West Village Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
and leave the "Ice Dance" Sedge
(Carex) and Sweet Woodruff alone


St. Clair West Village Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Flash frozen hostas



St. Clair West Village Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
St. Clair West Village
Toronto Fall Cleanup After 



The front has two garden beds which seem to collect all the Linden tree leaves coming from the left side and face the prevailing north/north-west wind. The perennial lavender could use a light trim next spring but it's a low maintenance affair at curbside.


St. Clair West Village Toronto Front Yard Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
St. Clair West Village Toronto
Front Yard Fall Cleanup Before 


St. Clair West Village Toronto Front Yard Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
St. Clair West Village Toronto
Front Yard Fall Cleanup After 



Toronto St. Clair West Village Front Yard Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Toronto St. Clair West Village
Front Yard Fall Cleanup Before



Toronto St. Clair West Village
Front Yard Fall Cleanup After 


20.11.18

Got Leaves?

A Fall Cleanup in Toronto's Greenwood-Coxwell Neighbourhood


What happens when your backyard is surrounded by several huge mature Silver Maples (Acer saccharinum) and you go away on vacation for most of the autumn? Well, you likely will see this upon your return:


Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


The homeowners scheduled me for a fall cleanup many weeks ago in anticipation of these leaves. I worked for them last year and profiled that autumn visit in a blog post titled "Another Toronto Fall Garden Cleanup in the Coxwell-Danforth Area; Putting A Garden To Rest (With This Gardener To Follow!)" so I knew what to expect, more or less, of the amount of work involved. Still, I marvelled at the amount of leaves covering their small east end Toronto backyard when I arrived and took these pictures:



Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Monarch Park Backyard Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Monarch Park Backyard Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before


The small front yard wasn't covered by nearly as many leaves as the back but required some tidying up like cutting off the old Siberian Iris and herbaceous peony leaves:


Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard Before


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard Before 


Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard Before


And afterwards, with the excellent help of an electric leaf blower...




Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Company
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup After



Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup After 


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 


Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup After 


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup After


Monarch Park Backyard Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Monarch Park Backyard Toronto Fall Cleanup 


Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After 


Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After 

And to the front...



Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Coxwell-Danforth Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard After 


Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Greenwood-Coxwell Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard After 


Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Company
Monarch Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Yard After 



16.11.18

A Fall Front Garden Cleanup in Riverdale

Toronto Gardening Before the Snow Falls


The fall cleanup jobs are coming fast and furious with another two weeks before I close up shop.

This post brings us back to the east end Toronto neighbourhood of Riverdale, in which many of my clients reside. Christine is one such client and I tend to her very small front garden about three times a season. 


Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before


The small front yard has several mature shrubs and a small weeping "Crimson Queen" Japanese maple so, from a garden maintenance aspect, it's lower maintenance. At this time of the year, I look after raking leaves out of the garden and off the sidewalk and some light pruning where needed. Nothing drastic, just tidying up the front for the winter.


Riverdale Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Riverdale Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before 



Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before 



Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before 



Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Services Company
Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before 




Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before


Afterwards....




Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden After 



Riverdale Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Riverdale Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden After




Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After



Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardener
Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After



Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Services Company
Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden After



Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Organic Gardening Services Company
Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After


It snowed a few inches last night but the snow will melt in a day or so. Raking leaves mixed with snow isn't "effective" and the leaves are darn heavy! The joys of gardening in November in Toronto...


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