Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec

January

1. Review garden plans.
2. Perform dormant pruning on shrubs.
3. Ornamental Round 1 through January and February – Deep root fertilization of trees and shrubs. Designed to increase the plant’s natural resistance to insect and disease damage and to initiate growth.

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February

1. Branches, leaves, and other garden debris picked up and disposed of.
2. Fruit trees pruned.
3. All garden machinery serviced.
4. Tools cleaned and repainted.
5. New gloves and tools ordered.
6. Garden furniture cleaned, repaired, or replaced.
7. Garden ornaments purchased.
8. Lawn Round 1 applied in late February – A blanket application of granular fertilizer and pre-emergent weed control to promote early spring green up and long lasting crabgrass control.
9. Order seeds for vegetable garden

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March

1. Complete pruning.
2. Lawns blown of dead leaves, aerated, and bare patches seeded.
3. Take soil tests of future or existing beds. Test for organic matter content.
4. Press back into the ground any perennials that frost heaved over the winter.
5. Fertilize gardens (end of March or early April). All gardens fertilized with super phosphate; flowers served additional 10-20-10.
6. Fruit trees sprayed with dormant oil to control scale.
7. All evergreens fed.
8. Cut back plants that were left for winter interest (especially watch Calamagrostis, Pulmonaria, Epimedium).
9. Check evergreen plants for removal of dead leaves.
10. Roses unwrapped; dead wood pruned; mulch removed from crown.
11. Mow Liriope.

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April

1. Fertilize (if not completed in March).
2. Roses fed a second time.
3. Tea roses pruned and shaped.
4. Garden furniture placed outdoors.
5. Garden urns refilled and planted with early spring arrangements.
6. Lawns top-dressed.
7. Wash siding on house.
8. Fruit trees sprayed.
9. Remove winter mulch.
10. Re-edge and top dress beds (can be done in late March into early April)
11. Touch up mulch. Apply pre-emergent for weed control.
12. Divide perennials and transplant when growth is 3-4 inch high. If growth has gotten larger, cut back by one-third to one-half before transplanting.
13. Divide woodland wildflowers after flowering.
14. Add compost if transplanting or planting into an existing garden.
15. Apply herbicide starting in the second week of April when grass and weeds are actively growing.
16. Aerate soil with a fork or hoe, take care not to damage roots.
17. Lawn Round 2 applied in late April to early May – A blanket application of fertilizer and broadleaf week control. This application is designed to stimulate color and control a wide variety of spring weeds.

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May

1. Lawns mowed for first time.
2. Herbaceous peonies supported with peony rings.
3. Feed roses.
4. Plant garden urns with arrangements.
5. Deadwood climbing roses.
6. Transplanting and dividing of summer and autumn flowering perennials can continue in May. Spring flowering perennials can be divided after flowering.
7. Once everything has sprouted, take note of empty spots for new plantings. Be patient with late-emerging perennials such as Begonia grandis, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, and Platycodon grandiflorus. Do not disturb or plant over them.
8. Weeding continues; especially strong are the dandelions and thistle.
9. Place hoops on peonies.
10. Slug control placed.
11. Many summer-flowering perennials, including Leucanthemum, Monarda, Phlox, Physostegia, and tradescantia, can be pinched or cut back for height control and possibly to stagger bloom.
12. Thinning can be done.
13. Spring-flowering perennials should be deadheaded or cut back or sheared after flowering.
14. Do not deadhead biennials if seeding for the following year is desired.
15. It is a good idea to pinch or cut back perennials by one-half @ planting.
16. Prune off any damage done by late frosts. The late frost date is generally May 20th.
17. When the risk of frost has passed, plant annuals in your terrace containers and planters.
18. Aerate and overseed lawn areas as needed and as the weather allows.

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June

1. Spray roses.
2. If you go away for an extended period in the summer, make sure there is someone around to water the gardens if needed, especially for a new planting.
3. Keep all new plantings well watered.
4. Weed.
5. Stake plants that need staked.
6. Prop up any stray branches off of neighboring plants if needed.
7. Continue to cut back spring-flowering plants, especially any that may be flopping.
8. Autumn-flowering plants should be pinched or cut back for height control as well as thinned and shaped.
9. Deadhead, deadhead, deadhead! To extend bloom of a variety of perennials and to reduce seeding of heavy seeders.
10. Prune or thin plants to keep them in their desired space. Make certain that any new perennials planted in an existing garden are not being overtaken or shaded by established neighbors widening with the warm weather.
11. Deadleafing of spring-flowering perennials may be needed; the leaves of some summer bloomers also may be starting to yellow.
12. Shear down any declining foliage, if needed.
13. Cut flowers for fresh arrangements and drying.
14. Lawn Round 3 applied from mid-June to mid-July – A blanket application of fertilizer with spot treatment for broadleaf weeds. This application is designed to prepare turf for dry summer conditions and eliminate summer weeds in your lawn. This is also the time to apply surface insecticide if necessary. (Price is not included in lawn round 3 for insecticide, technician will recommend application and notify customer of price prior to treatment.)

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July

1. Take photos!
2. Transplant and divide with care.
3. Continue to keep plantings moist, with deeper but less frequent waterings. For established plantings that have been dry for several weeks, watering may be in order now.
4. Perennials that have been heavily pruned back also need to be kept moist.
5. Weed.
6. Fertilize heavy feeding perennials or perennials that have been cut back for rebloom.
7. Aerate compacted areas.
8. Stake autumn bloomers as needed.
9. Perennials that bloom a second time should be cut back to basal foliage.
10. Complete pinching back of autumn-blooming plants should be complete in mid to late July.
11. Deadleaf plants.
12. Deadhead more and more – perennials such as Coreopsis may need a shearing for a second bloom phase.
13. Prune crowded or sprawling perennials to keep them in their space.

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August

1. Bearded iris, peonies, and poppies can be divided now.
2. Put thought into any plantings that will be done in the fall.
3. Weed.
4. Don’t forget to water the spring planted gardens.
5. Continue to aerate.
6. Staking may be needed after storms.
7. Do not apply fertilizer, so as to allow plants to harden better before the winter.
8. Cut back plants for aesthetics.
9. Continue to deadleaf, and deadhead.
10. Asters and mums can be cut back to 4-6 inches to delay bloom, though at the expense of floral abundance.
11. Try cutting back short lived species such as Gallardia and Centranthus at the end of the month to stimulate vegetative growth.

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September

1. Division and transplanting of spring and summer-flowering perennials is accomplished with ease as the days start to cool down.
2. Do fall installations.
3. Switch out arrangements in urns/pots to fall arrangement.
4. Continue weeding.
5. Keep new autumn plantings moist.
6. Apply touch up mulch as needed.
7. Deadhead.
8. Lawn Round 4 – A blanket application of fertilizer and blanket/spot treatment of broadleaf weeds. This application is designed to control fall weeds and begin preparing the turf for cooler weather. This is also the time to apply preventative grub control. (Price of Lawn Round 4 does not include grub control. Technician will recommend application and notify customer of price prior to treatment.)
9. Aerate and overseed lawn areas as needed and as the weather allows.

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October

1. Beds can be prepared for spring plantings.
2. Keep new plantings watered.
3. Rake leaves.
4. October 15th is the approx. first frost date. Some perennials may turn to mush at this time and should be pruned, if desired. Otherwise wait till November to prune.
5. Top dress with organic matter.
6. Turn off all water and irrigation systems, drain all hoses.
7. Do not prune evergreens, mums, tender perennials or anything with winter interest.
8. Prepare soil for bulb planting.
9. Roses tied up; dead wood or weak shoots cut back.
10. Plant bulbs.
11. Display carved pumpkins.
12. Lawn Round 5 – A blanket application of granular fertilizer and spot treatment for broadleaf weeds. A true ‘winterizer’ application slowly feeds turf roots through the winter months increasing density and promoting early spring green up.

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November

1. Rake garden clear of debris.
2. Protect fragile perennials and shrubs with a layer of compost.
3. Rake up all leaves.

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December

1. Fallen branches picked up.
2. Yew and boxwood tied up to prevent snow damage.
3. String up lights for holiday decorations.

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View our minimal maintenance approach schedule.