First gig of 2026!
It’s amazing to get a text message after New Year’s, asking you to come do a garden clean-up. It means extra income and more content creation. And, it means the weather is mild, not snowy and icy, which lifts up my spirits.
The client asked me to deadhead her hydrangeas, which is a very pleasant task. I left the flowers on last fall because they still looked good, and there is a case to be made for extra bud protection. Now, I took them off carefully, trying not to go too low. Three to four buds down is as low as I would go.
Remember, if you cut too low, into old wood, the branch will green up, but it won’t flower. So far, this is all normal. But, I also found lots of thick and dead canes inside the shrubs so I cut them out carefully. In the video below, you can clearly see the daylight this creates inside the shrub. We need young, straight canes. If you let the shrub mature and never take out any big canes, it will look like this.
Did you notice the difference after the larger, dead canes are removed?
Other tasks
The whole residence required a nice, detailed blow after the holidays. Then, we decided that one ailing Skimmia shrub will get removed and replaced with other shrubs. I have no idea why it’s doing poorly but most of the browning seems to be at the back, next to a stone wall. I also want to put more plants in so we have odd numbers. Why have single Bergenia and Alchemila mollis, when you can make groups of three or five.
I also weeded, and we’re planning to add more mulch in March which should keep the weeds down and give us a nice fresh look. The mulch gets delivered in one yard bags and positioned next to the bed with a crane to eliminate wheelbarrow runs.
Best news for last!
There is more good news! The client’s daughter is having a June wedding reception at the back of the pool area, which means extra work. Work like installing new plants, making sure the lawns are green and sharply edged, and weeds are in check.
I’m always happy to help my clients with special events. Yes, the extra work is much-appreciated but being of service feels great.
