Maintain a picture-perfect garden all year long with these simple sustainable landscaping tips:
Summer
Water your plants at the base using a watering can or drip-hose to keep their leaves dry. This will conserve water and reduce the spread of unattractive powdery mildew on susceptible plants’ leaves.
Fall
Use fallen tree leaves as an attractive alternative to the black and red dyed mulches that quickly fade and lose their appeal. Fallen leaves in the garden also create valuable habitat for overwintering pollinators such as bumble bees and butterflies. For a tidier look, use the lawn mower to chop the leaves into smaller pieces before raking them into the garden.
Winter
Keep seedheads as a feature. Not only do their attractive silhouettes add winter interest to the garden, they provide overwintering birds with a natural source of food. If seedheads are falling over, stake them or remove those in front to prevent the stalks from falling outside of your garden bed. Seedheads of most coneflowers, foxglove beardtongue and little bluestem are particularly attractive. Be aware that fallen seed may produce more plants next year.
Early Spring
When tidying up the garden, only trim off a bit of last year’s flower stems, leaving stem stubble of varying heights, between 20 to 60 centimetres tall. These standing stems will help prop up new growth as well as provide nesting habitat for native bees.
Late Spring
Some native wildflowers can be trimmed to create a shorter, bushier plant with more eye-catching flowers. Instead of tossing the plant cuttings into the yard waste bag, cut them into small pieces and scatter them throughout the garden. This will gradually improve the soil as the cuttings decompose.