Garden Muses: A Small Toronto Gardening Services Company Blog: A Cabbagetown Spring Cleanup

14.5.19

A Cabbagetown Spring Cleanup

Cutting Down a Few Ornamental Grasses in Spring

The weather so far this May has been mediocre with lower than average temperatures and plenty of rain. I'd say right now we're about two weeks behind a "normal" Toronto spring when it comes to bloom times. Usually the forsythias are finished blooming by now but I see many still with lots of yellow flowers.

But come rain or shine, I'm receiving many requests for spring cleanups. This post bring us back to the downtown Toronto neighbourhood of Cabbagetown for another client visit.

The front yard is very small, typical for this area. I left the ornamental grasses (Miscanthus sp.) alone last fall when I did the fall cleanup so now have to deal with them. All they require is to have the old stalks cut down to about 6 inches from the ground. Miscanthus (maiden grass) is a warm season grass so new shoots will emerge by late May (if it ever warms up!)

The greener sedges at the brick edging (likely Gold Fountains Sedge or Carex dolichostachya 'Kaga Nishiki') just need a bit of the trim to cut away the brown tips. New bight green leaves are already emerging with this beautiful sedge.

Cabbagetown Toronto Spring Garden
Cleanup Front Yard Before

Cabbagetown Toronto Spring Garden
Cleanup Front Yard After

Cabbagetown Toronto Spring Garden
Cleanup Front Yard Before

Cabbagetown Toronto Spring Garden
Cleanup Front Yard After

And in the backyard...

The bulk of the work was done last fall when I raked and swept up most of Paper Birch leaves from the garden bed and patio. As in the front, the yellow ornamental grasses (Japanese Forest Grass now emerging) were left alone last autumn. They just need some tidying up as well by pulling away the old leaves.

Typical for Cabbagetown's small lots, there is no lawn or turf grown. On the maintenance scale, this garden is around a 2, which suits the busy homeowners fine.