Our redesigned landscape recently turned a year and a half, and I'm so pleased with the progress. Over the last year I've been observing the trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals as they progress through their seasonal cycles. In October 2024, we hired a landscaping service to provide monthly maintenance, so I've been learning from them. Plus, I spend a lot of hands-on time in the garden—pruning, mulching, cleaning up, and weeding.
Speaking of which, I can't emphasize enough the importance of weeding. Before the landscape project, we had almost no weeds, because we had no irrigation. A few weeds or unwanted plants might sprout in the spring after winter rains, but they dried up quickly with the first heat spell. Since we have implemented drip irrigation to help the native plants get established, we are now seeing lots of weeds. It is important to keep on top of the weeds in the early stages, so they don't get a foot hold. Once established, weeds proliferate by dispersing millions of seeds and by competing for light, water, and nutrients that are meant for favored plants.
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| Landscape maintenance. Clockwise, from the top left: weeding, planting, treating disease, and raking leaves |
Following is a monthly maintenance schedule that I've compiled over the last year from watching our landscapers and from my own notes and observations. I'm starting the maintenance calendar with October, since fall really kicks off the gardening year here in Northern California. We get most of our water from fall and winter rains, which typically last from late October through February (longer if we're lucky). Planting in the fall (and into early spring) helps plants establish strong, deep roots. This schedule is customized for our yard, but the ideas can be generalized for any yard.
October 🍂
Time for fall cleanup, and to prepare for planting before the rainy season starts. The winter rains can start any time, depending on the year!
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (this is an ongoing task throughout the year, but worth mentioning every month).
☐ Clean up leaves, berries, and drupes from the patios and paths, and either recycle in the compost bin or send to Waste Management to recycle. Retain the leaves under the oak tree to maintain the oak duff, which is important for the caterpillars that feed baby birds in the spring. Remove annuals that have scattered their seed and are at the end of their life cycle.
☐ Hire our arborist to prune the big oak tree, and the shrubs that are too tall for us to tackle.
☐ Prepare the soil in the rock garden, raised bed, and containers for fall planting. Plant seeds, bulbs, or starter plants, as appropriate. Be sure to water periodically until winter rains start.
☐ Collect grasses, seed pods, and dried flowers for fall arrangements.
November 🍂
Time for more fall cleanup and planting. Fall is one of my favorite times to work in the garden. The air is sparkly clean, and the temperature is a wonderful combination of warm in the sun and cool and crisp in the shade. Expect winter rains at any time!
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Continue removing spent annuals (or wait until their seeds have been distributed, and then remove them).
☐ Clean up leaves and berries or drupes from the patios and paths (ongoing task). Cut back spreading perennials and ground covers. Also trim perennials in the front planter, such as the Bush Monkey Flower; and the gooseberry bushes in the upper and lower yards.
☐ Prune camellia and pittosporum shrubs to let light into the understory. Cut back invasive ivy from the street.
☐ Close up the main patio—remove cobwebs, wipe down the patio furniture, protect the cushions, clean up the brick surfaces, wash windows, and toss anything that is old, damaged, or no longer needed. Clean and put away the Weber grill.
☐ Collect dried plant material for a Thanksgiving arrangement.
December 🍂⛅
Hopefully the rainy season has started by this time. Thoughts naturally turn to the holidays and inside activities—creating delicious food, gathering with friends and family, decorating, and finding the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones. If the rain pauses, there are always a few more outdoor cleanup tasks to do as the season transitions from fall to winter.
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). After a soaking rain, the roots slide out of the soil so easily.
☐ Cut back ornamental grasses to low mounds.
☐ Remove dead or diseased leaves from perennials, such as the heucheras, and trim dead branches from the juniper and pine trees.
☐ Replace plants that are not doing well and plant new plants to try. This timing takes advantage of the winter rains in our Mediterranean climate and helps ensure a deep, healthy root structure.
☐ Harvest a few green conifer branches for a holiday wreath.
January ⛅
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Learn to identify the weeds in their early stages, and remove them while they are easy to pull.
☐ Clean up leaves, sticks and cones—blown in via winter storms—from patios, paths, and the driveway.
☐ Cut back invasive ivy from the street.
☐ Take an inventory of any early blooming flowers in the yard, such as California poppy and Clarkia. Watch for buds and new growth.
☐ Watch for mushrooms that pop up in the yard. Some may indicate decay, but I've found most indicate a healthy soil environment. Some might be suitable for dyeing fabric!
February ⛅
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task).
☐ Trim the large mounding grasses into cone or tear drop shapes, as needed.
☐ Trim the Dracaena in the side yard.
☐ Clean up the spent camelia flowers in the side yard. Use them as mulch under the camelia shrubs.
☐ Trim perennials in the front planters.
March ⛅🌷
End of winter cleanup, and kick off to spring activities.
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task).
☐ Cut back invasive ivy from the street, and remove invasive French Broom from the curb.
☐ Clean up pittosporum berries and spent camelia flowers in the side yard.
☐ Add mulch or wood chips, as needed. This really helps cut down on the spring weeds trying to take hold.
April 🌷
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Get them while they are small and easy to pull!
☐ Clean up pittosporum berries and spent camelia flowers in the side yard.
☐ Cut back invasive ivy from the street, and remove invasive French Broom from the curb.
☐ Collect flowers and branches for spring arrangements.
May 🌷
Time for more spring cleanup. This is a beautiful time for gardens here in the Bay Area.
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task).
☐ Verify that the irrigation system is running correctly, and fix any leaks or blockages.
☐ Clean up the stone path from the street to the house. Trim back vegetation and ground covers.
☐ Clean up the heuchera leaves as needed to ensure light and free flow of air.
☐ Collect flowers and branches for spring arrangements.
June 🌷🌞
End of spring cleanup, and kick off to summer activities.
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task).
☐ Check the property for fire safety, in preparation for the City of Oakland's annual vegetation inspection. Trim branches that are close to the house, and clear the five-foot zone around the house, where needed.
☐ Spruce up the main patio—remove cobwebs, wipe down the patio furniture, fluff up the cushions, clean up the brick surfaces, wash windows, and toss anything that is old, damaged, or no longer needed. Break out the Weber grill.
☐ Sweep debris from other surfaces throughout the yard.
☐ Collect flowers and branches for spring/summer arrangements.
July 🌞
Time for summer cleanup, and lots of outdoor living. By now, most of the annuals are spent (except for the California Poppy and Clarkia, which keep on blooming because of light irrigation). Most of the perennials are still blooming.
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Check the driveway for weeds developing in the cracks and remove them.
☐ Cut back invasive ivy from the street, especially in the lower yard.
☐ Trim the hedges in the side and lower yards.
☐ Prune the perennials in the front yard, such as Yarrow, Heuchera, Manzanita, Sea Thrift, Cotoneaster, and Juncus. Prune the native shrubs in the lower yard.
☐ Add mulch or wood chips as needed.
August 🌞
Time for more summer cleanup, and lots of outdoor living. Prepare for heat spells, and keep tabs on fire activity in the Bay Area. Monitor plants for heat distress and provide extra water as needed (this may not be needed once the native plants get firmly established, which can take two or three years in a new native garden).
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task).
☐ Sweep debris from surfaces throughout the yard.
☐ Clean up the stone walkway from the street to the house. Remove the weeds that pop up between the pavers, and that sneak into the planting beds and nearby cracks in the street (some people recommend spraying with vinegar to desiccate the leaves, although it may not kill the roots). Cut back the ground covers that spill over onto the pavers, and the grasses that spill over the path.
☐ Likewise, clean up the streetside, easement area for weeds and trash. There are some beautiful native plants in this area; prune or thin as needed to show them to their advantage. Add mulch or wood chips as needed.
☐ Arrange for a pruning estimate to trim the oak. Some very tall delivery trucks keep hitting the branches, which could weaken them. The last pruning was about six years ago so it is time.
September 🌞🍂
End of summer cleanup, and kick off to fall. Prepare for more heat spells, and continue monitoring fire activity in the Bay Area. Monitor plants for heat distress and provide extra water as needed.
☐ Weed the garden paths and beds (ongoing task). Remove the spent annuals and cut back dead foliage. Trim up iris, ivy, goldenrod, heucheras, Clarkia, California hedgenettle, maple, succulents and California buckwheat.
☐ Sweep debris from surfaces throughout the yard (patios, steps, and walkways).
☐ Clean up leaves, berries, and drupes. Assess for potential dye sources. Sweep up any fallen oak leaves from the street and add to the leaf duff under the trees.
☐ Continue cleaning up the streetside easement around the property for weeds and trash. Inventory and document the beautiful native plants in this area. Add mulch or wood chips as needed.
☐ Schedule aesthetic pruning for the big oak tree, and any shrubs that are getting too tall for us to tackle. Optionally schedule a professional fall landscape clean up, and arrange for new plants to be planted in time for winter rains.
Habitat Maintenance
Ongoing habitat maintenance tasks include emptying and filling the bird bath with fresh water daily; cleaning and refilling the hummingbird feeder every several days; and cleaning and refilling the Bird Buddy feeder as needed (sometimes once a day during the nesting period). Birds add so much to our garden, and these tasks help ensure a healthy and inviting environment for their visits. In addition, the garden provides pollinator-friendly blooms, and many of the ornamental grasses provide seeds for birds.
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| Habitat maintenance. Clockwise, from the top: birdbath, humming bird feeder, and the Bird Buddy feeder |
