Creating and maintaining your garden beds can be a daunting task for homeowners, especially if you have recently installed new landscapes. To keep your beds looking their best, it is essential to keep them clean and well-groomed. This involves spade edging the beds by hand in spring, and refreshing them every 8-10 weeks. Monthly weeding is also necessary to keep the beds weed-free. 

In spring, it is recommended to put down mulch and pre-emergent to prevent weed growth. Groundcover plants should be kept trimmed down and prevented from invading surrounding plants. Shrubs need to be hand pruned to maintain a natural look and also trimmed back from the house. Dead branches from any trees must also be cleaned up regularly. Additionally, roses should be pruned until fall to keep their blossoms in full show.

To ensure that your garden beds are well-maintained, we suggest implementing at least a five-step program, which should be executed every 8-10 weeks. A one-time cleanup is not enough to address this issue. Perennials and shrubs must be pruned after blooming in early spring or late fall after new growth has hardened off. Evergreens should not be cut back substantially, and only shaped as needed for a natural look.