Spring Landscaping Tips

Spring can be an overwhelming time in the garden here are some easy spring landscaping tips:

• Spring cleanup can begin once the ground has dried.
• Cut back any parts of perennials that were left up for winter interest, such as flower stalks and seed heads.
• Plant up spring blooming containers for some early colour inspiration.
• Pruning of Spring Flowering Shrubs: Early spring flowering shrubs like Flowering Almond, Lilac, Sand Cherry and Forsythia should be pruned immediately after flowering. As soon as the last flowers fade, use a pruning saw to cut off one-fourth to one-third of the biggest, oldest stems at ground level. Use pruning shears to shorten all of the stems to two or three feet from the ground. If you wish to greatly limit the shrub’s size, you can cut the branches as far back as six inches from the ground. By the end of the growing season, new branches will have formed. These will arch gracefully from the center and will be covered with new flower buds for next year’s spring show.
• Pruning of Evergreens: Cedars, Junipers, Boxwood and Yews can be lightly pruned in early spring to remove any winter dieback and prune for shape prior to spring growth.
• By mid-June, it should be apparent that shearing is needed again as the warmer weather produces a rush of growth. Broadleaf Evergreens such as Euonymus, Boxwood and Holly are pruned at the same time as Cedars and Junipers, once the flush of spring growth is finished. Besides providing the desired shape, this also encourages new growth.
• Pruning of Summer Flowering Shrubs: Summer flowering shrubs like Spirea, Potentilla, Butterfly Bush, Weigela, Hydrangea and even roses should be pruned in early spring before growth begins and then again later in the season to remove spent flowers and encourage more blooms.
• Cut Ornamental Grasses back around May long weekend. Grasses really need some heat to get growing: depending on the weather they might not show new growth until the beginning of June. Not to worry; as soon as the summer heat hits these fabulous growers will quickly put on a great show.