Gardening & Garden Maintenance in Mississauga & the GTA

When to prune what: a GTA calendar

Timing matters more than technique for most shrubs. A simple rule: prune spring bloomers right after they flower, and summer bloomers before they start growing.

• Late winter to early spring: summer-flowering shrubs such as panicle hydrangeas, potentilla and spirea that bloom on new wood; dead or crossing branches on most shrubs; ornamental grasses cut back before new shoots appear.
• Right after flowering (May to June): lilacs, forsythia, magnolias and other shrubs that set next year's buds soon after blooming. Prune these in fall and you cut off next spring's flowers.
• Late spring to early summer: a light trim on cedar hedges once the new growth has firmed up, and a second touch-up in midsummer if needed.
• Late fall: mostly cleanup, not hard pruning. Heavy cuts this late can leave tender regrowth exposed to frost.

Fall cleanups and yard waste pickup

A fall cleanup does more than tidy. Clearing matted leaves off beds and lawn stops them smothering crowns and grass under the snow, and cutting back diseased foliage removes a source of next year's problems. Some perennials and grasses are worth leaving standing over winter, for seed heads that feed birds and stems that hold snow, and we'll leave those if you prefer.

Both Mississauga and Toronto collect yard waste on scheduled days from spring to late fall, in paper yard-waste bags or open rigid containers; plastic bags aren't accepted. Branches need to be cut to the length and bundled as your city sets out. On cleanup visits we bag and set out material to those rules for your collection day, or haul it away when the volume is more than the curb can take.

Mulch and edging, done properly

A crisp edge and fresh mulch are what make a bed look cared for, and they do real work too. We cut a clean spade edge between lawn and bed so grass can't creep in, then spread shredded mulch about two to three inches deep. That depth holds moisture through dry spells and blocks most weed seeds from reaching light.

More isn't better. Mulch piled against stems and trunks, the so-called mulch volcano, keeps bark wet and invites rot and pests, so we pull it back a few inches from every stem. Old mulch that has broken down into soil can simply be topped up each spring rather than replaced. Dyed mulches look bright for a season but fade, so we usually suggest natural shredded bark that weathers to a soft brown.