A Riverdale Toronto Spring Cleanup

And So Another Work Season Begins....

After another winter hiatus, I'm back into the garden again. Not mine, of course, since the frost line is still only a few inches below the surface. This post should be titled "A Really Late Fall Cleanup" since the client contacted me only because he wants to put his house in Toronto's Riverdale neighbourhood on the market now for sale and, not surprisingly, feels that several inches of matted leaves from last autumn surrounding the property would put off some buyers!

I usually don't walk around in and around most gardens this early in spring since the soil is still more or less frozen and my mucking around would damage the soil texture. For this property, however, the backyard is comprised of a flagstone patio and raised beds while in the front, the soil was dry due to a slight slope and a sunnier-than-usual scenario since the mature maples haven't leafed out yet. No digging was required (or even possible) for this cleanup, just raking a ton of matted and wet leaves.

Here's the front yard with "before" and "after":

A Riverdale Front Yard Spring Cleanup Before 

A Riverdale Front Yard Spring Cleanup After 

A Toronto Front Yard Spring Cleanup in Riverdale Before 

A Toronto Front Yard Spring Cleanup in Riverdale After 

Riverdale Spring Front Yard Cleanup Before 

Riverdale Spring Front Yard Cleanup After 

Toronto Spring Cleanup Riverdale Front Yard Before

Toronto Spring Cleanup Riverdale Front Yard After 

And in the backyard....

A Toronto Spring Cleanup in Riverdale Before 

Riverdale Spring Backyard Cleanup After 

Riverdale Spring Cleanup Before

Riverdale Spring Cleanup After

A Toronto Spring Cleanup in Riverdale Before 

A Toronto Spring Cleanup in Riverdale After 

Riverdale Spring Cleanup Before 

Riverdale Spring Cleanup After 

All in all, it was a great day to be working outside. I just hope it doesn't snow anytime soon!

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

Tired hosta foliage removed and
some cedar mulch laid down 

Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup Before 

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 

Bedford Park Toronto Fall Cleanup After 

Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park

Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park 

Toronto Fall Cleanup Before in Bedford Park

Toronto Fall Cleanup After in Bedford Park

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 

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!

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

Toronto St. Clair West Village
Fall Backyard Cleanup After 

St. Clair West Village Fall
Backyard Cleanup Before 

I left the "P.G." Hydrangea 
(Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora') 
standard alone for the winter and 
will prune the spent brown panicles 
(flowers) next spring.

Ooops, I forgot to shut the shed door

Not much I could do with the ice 

Several clumps of wilted "Jack Frost"
Siberian Bugloss which, ironically,
didn't respond well to Jack Frost visiting
Toronto. I'll cut these down...

and leave the "Ice Dance" Sedge
(Carex) and Sweet Woodruff alone

Flash frozen hostas

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 

St. Clair West Village Toronto
Front Yard Fall Cleanup After 

Toronto St. Clair West Village
Front Yard Fall Cleanup Before

Toronto St. Clair West Village
Front Yard Fall Cleanup After 

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

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 

Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before 

Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before 

Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden Before 

Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden Before

Afterwards....

Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden After 

Riverdale Toronto Fall Cleanup Front Garden After

Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After

Toronto Fall Cleanup Riverdale Front Garden After

Riverdale Fall Cleanup Front Garden After

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...