Spring is upon us once again!

Winter may not be everyone’s favourite time of year, but the low season gave us the opportunity to start our online e-zine. Welcome to spring, and welcome to our first issue! In this issue, we will give you some tips on what you can do to get started with your gardening.

How This Past Winter Conditions Will Affect Your Garden This Summer
The particular conditions we experienced over the past winter might end up being beneficial to your vegetation. The heavy snow cover provided the plant material with moisture during the melt as well as some protection from deep freeze in the root zone. The intense cold spells will most likely have a positive effect on controlling insect populations this coming summer.

Shrubs and Trees
As the sun warms the earth and the snow melts, it is time to inspect your garden for winter damage. Your trees and shrubs may need trimming, thinning or reshaping. Spring is a good time to prune the majority of your shrubs and trees, with the exception of birch and maples, which should be done in late August to prevent excessive bleeding. The majority of your pruning should be limited to the three D’s - diseased, damaged and dead wood - by making clean cuts to the nearest live buds or limbs.

Lawn
Gently hand rake your lawn to remove twigs, leaves and other debris. Regular spring clean up activities should not be undertaken until late April or the beginning of May to minimize the chance of directly exposing delicate new grass roots to frost.

Planting Beds
Any vegetation planted close to foundation walls, under overhangs or exposed to many hours of direct sunlight may require more watering than other vegetation that generally benefits from the snow melt. Once the ground is dry, it will be time to weed, rake the planting beds and cover bare areas with mulch. If you haven’t done so in the fall, your perennials should also be cut back. Remember to ensure that the ground is dry prior to walking around in your planting beds - even if you use mulch - to avoid soil compaction.

Happy gardening,
Terra Landscaping Ltd.