Lambton Property Maintenance & Landscaping Inc.

Spring lawn care

Gardening in the suburbs in some postage-stamp garden areas has forced some to get creative when it came to suburban vegetable farming. But you know what? Even if you live on acreage, you might still enjoy using small-space gardening techniques because it's just plain practical! Vegetables have zero bias when it comes to their garden home. Use these tips to help vegetables thrive in your small-space garden. Try vertical vegetable gardening.... Integrate veggies into the existing landscape. Plant intensively (closer together than normal). Take advantage of dwarf vegetable varieties. Try succession planting. Plant inside soil bags that are placed on top of cemented areas. Plant dwarf fruit trees. Try columnar apple trees (narrow, bottlebrush-growing habit). Plant multi-grafted fruit trees (several fruit varieties on a single tree). Use espalier techniques (pruning a fruit tree into a shape against a wall).

Trees & Shrubs Trees and shrubs should be planted in the fall, from the end of August to mid-October and sometimes even later depending on the weather each year. This will give them time to establish their root system in the still-warm soil.... The spring is not the best time for planting trees or shrubs because the wet ground makes it more difficult for newly planted trees to take hold. Trees and shrubs will need dryer ground for proper root growth. There are some exceptions to the general rule, especially for bare roots, but fall is generally the best time for transferring any potted shrubs or trees to the ground.

Vegetables Late spring is the optimal time to be planting vegetable seeds in Canada, but some vegetables are hardier and will survive better early in the season. These species are called ‘cool-season vegetables’. Most cool-season varieties will not be affected by a light frost, so you can safely plant them in May or June.... Certain species can be started indoors by seed in the winter and moved outdoors in the summer, such as parsley, peppers, onions, and asparagus. Common Cool-Season Vegetables Asparagus Beans Beets Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Garlic Kale Lettuce Onions Parsley Peas Potatoes Radishes Spinach Turnips

Perennials Perennials prefer to be planted at times when the ground is moist and warm. They can be planted in the early fall (September), but they prefer to be planted in the late spring or early summer in Ontario, after the ground has thawed (May to June).... In the fall and spring, consider dividing perennials you already have. For example, if a group of plants is getting too big, you can divide it into two. They tend to grow better this way, and you can increase the number of plants you have. In the early spring, start identifying plants that have started to seed themselves, like poppies. Identifying them early means you can move them to pots until they get stronger, or move them to another area of your garden where you’d prefer to have them. As long as the soil isn’t frozen, you can move things easily, and it’s great to do it before it gets too hot! Best Perennials to Plant in Ontario: Black-eyed susans Foxgloves Garden phlox Hostas Hydrangeas Lobelias Peonies Poppies Roses

Flower Bulbs If you’re planting flower bulbs in your garden, everything will depend on whether you have selected spring or fall bulbs. For spring-planted bulbs, make sure to plant these after the last chance of frost has passed. ... For fall-planted bulbs, plant these before the ground freezes so they have time to take root to flower in the spring. If you forget to plants bulbs in the fall, don’t wait until next yet! Plant them as soon as the ground thaws enough in the spring. Bulbs are living plants and they will dry up if they do not receive nourishment after a certain amount of time. Some of them may not successfully bloom, but you may get lucky with a few of them! Common Spring-Planted Bulbs Begonias Caladium Dahlias Freesia Gladiolus Lilies Sorrels Common Fall-Planted Bulbs Buttercups Crocuses Daffodils Hyacinths Irises Snowdrops Tulips