A Wychwood Spring/Summer Garden Cleanup

When the Landlord's Away, the Gardens Will Go Astray...

Tidying up gardens at rental properties are usually a challenge for me. The landlord is likely not around to see or care about the state of things outside and the tenants, naturally, rent for clean and safe conditions inside and not for fine gardening to and from the front door. Gardens, therefore, tend to decline quickly if maintenance arrives once a year (maybe), if ever. The amount of weeding and pruning can be staggering for a one person gardening company (me.)

Fortunately, it wasn't "staggeringly bad" with this front and backyard cleanup in Toronto's Wychwood neighbourhood but bad enough.


Here's the front yard before the cleanup:

Toronto Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Before 

I knew it was at least a year since anyone has tended the front garden as it was choked with litter flying in off the street, decayed crabapple fruit and leaves and plenty of weeds. And who knows when the shrubs were last pruned?

Toronto Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup After 

The "after" picture above reveals a half decent garden with an actual path!

Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Toronto Before 

Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Toronto After 

Toronto Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Before

Here's the view from the street, before and after some vigorous raking and judicious pruning. And, yes, trash collection...

Toronto Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup After 

Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Toronto Before 

Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Toronto After 

Toronto Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Before 

Toronto Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup After 

Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Toronto Before

The view from the porch. I pruned the silver-leaf dogwoods a few feet down to allow someone/anyone to actually see the garden.

Wychwood Front Yard Spring Cleanup Toronto After by 

And the backyard....

Work in the back garden mainly consisted of pruning overgrown thornless roses, lilacs and an Arrowwood viburnum and some weeding in the beds and interlocking brick path.

Wychwood Toronto Backyard Spring Cleanup Before 

Wychwood Toronto Backyard Spring Cleanup After 

Toronto Wychwood Backyard Spring Cleanup Before

Toronto Wychwood Backyard Spring Cleanup After 

Wychwood Toronto Backyard Spring Cleanup Before 

Wychwood Toronto Backyard Spring Cleanup After

I may be back a year from now and I have a good idea how the gardens will be then: ignored!