Garden Muses: A Small Toronto Gardening Services Company Blog: front slope weeding

23.7.20

A Koreatown Front Garden Cleanup and Installation

A New Front Garden on a Slope

Gardening on a slope can be difficult if retaining walls and tiers are not constructed but not impossible. In this post, I'm returning back to a sloped "garden" in the Toronto neighbourhood of Koreatown.

My first visit in September 2019, profiled in a post titled "A Front Garden Cleanup in Koreatown: Labouring on Labour Day" , involved heavy duty weeding. It became apparent quickly during my second and most recent visit that no maintenance occurred between visits, as the "before" photos show:

Koreatown Toronto Front Slope Weeding and New Installation After by Paul Jung Gardening Services--a Toronto Gardening Services Company

Koreatown Toronto Front Slope
Weeding and New Installation Before

Koreatown Toronto New Front
Garden Installation Before

Toronto Koreatown Front
Garden Installation Before

Toronto Koreatown Front Garden
Weeding and New Installation Before

Toronto Koreatown Front Slope
Weeding and New Installation Before

The client requested a new garden with some sort of groundcover, with the aims of filling in the exposed slope surface (and reduce future weeding), retaining the soil that naturally wants to spill to the bottom with every heavy rainstorm, and creating some curb appeal. Simply throwing a layer of mulch on top of the slope just means a nice big mound at the bottom over time.

The slope has no retaining elements (e.g., boulders) and the client does not wish to pay for the construction of tiered beds. The area faces west so receives full sun all afternoon.

After removing the wonderful thistle and other large weeds, my plan was to create a rock garden look, without the rocks. Unfortunately, she couldn't find my suggested plants like moss phlox and rock cress but was able to purchase other "alpine" type of perennials.

And afterwards....

Koreatown Toronto Front Slope
Weeding and New Installation After

Admittedly, new "baby" perennial transplants seem puny (they are) but with regular watering during the first season, they should fill in over time.

Koreatown Toronto New Front
Garden Installation After

Toronto Koreatown Front
Garden Installation After

Toronto Koreatown Front Garden
Weeding and New Installation After

The new garden is prone to heavy weed infestation with all the freshly exposed soil so I advised the client to keep on top of the weeding and watering. It will be interesting to see if these maintenance tasks were actually done!

7.9.19

Front Garden Cleanup in Koreatown

Labouring on Labour Day

Like a flick of switch, temperatures last week dropped. Fall is definitely in the air and while leaves haven't begun to change colour, it definitely doesn't feel like summer any more. I can't complain too much as conditions working outside are so much better for me: very little humidity and lower temperatures mean I can weed and prune without gulping water every few minutes or having the fear of passing out due to heat exhaustion.

September is also a great time to plant new perennials, shrubs and trees but it's uncommon for me to put in new gardens now as most homeowners don't associate autumn with new plants. The weeding, however, still continues, as this post will show.

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Garden Cleanup Before

The client, Cynthia, contacted me to deal with her front garden (located in central Toronto's Koreatown neighbourhood) which is on a slope as shown above. (The picture was taken across the street, to give you a sense of perspective and scale.) It's a little, ahem, "overgrown"! I can only conclude than no weeding occurred at all in 2019 and who knows prior. I think you can make out the boxwood balls in the forefront but most of the rest of the vegetation are weeds.

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Front Garden Cleanup Before

Here are some views from the upper tier, looking down towards the street. While the slope wasn't too severe, working while standing on an angle is never easy on the ankles, legs and back. To be honest, I did most of the weeding sitting (and sliding) down.

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Front Yard Cleanup Before

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Garden Cleanup Before

Toronto Front Garden
Cleanup in Koreatown Before

Toronto Summer Front Yard
Cleanup in Koreatown Before

This picture shows the path (somewhere hidden) connecting the neighbours, which the mail delivery person must use all down this street.

Toronto Summer Garden
Cleanup in Koreatown Before

These next two pictures were taken from the sidewalk, looking up the slope. The Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) saplings, Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola) and Goosefoot (Chenopodium album) are all doing well!

Toronto Summer Garden
Cleanup in Koreatown Before

And afterwards....

I kept about half of goldenrod that's flowering now for pollinators but dug out everything else. Those poor hostas below the goldenrods were smothered previously. I can almost hear them now sigh in relief!

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Garden Cleanup After

I'm guessing the change in elevation from the upper tier to the top of bottom retaining wall is about 15 feet. Erosion control will have to be considered. Laying down mulch, while suppressing weeds, will likely result in having it run down after heavy rains and snow melt. Mass planting of a groundcover like periwinkle (Vinca minor) could work to reduce erosion but it will take time before a thick mat takes hold.

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Front Garden Cleanup After

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Front Yard Cleanup After

Koreatown Toronto Summer
Garden Cleanup After

I'd certainly mulch the level upper tier area at the base of the tree. The grass is also failing as it's in shade for most of the day and never fertilized. I also suggested that it be dug out and the entire upper tier be mulched.