Seasonal Care Calendar
A year of small, well-timed actions.
A landscape that compounds over time is built on small, well-timed actions, not heroic weekends. The calendar below distills a year of work into roughly four hours per month — if you do them when the calendar says to.
January: Tool maintenance, plan review, dormant pruning of fruit trees and most deciduous shrubs (not spring-bloomers).
February: Cut back ornamental grasses to 4 inches before new growth begins. Apply dormant oil to fruit trees if scale or aphids were a problem last year.
March: Mulch refresh. Cut back perennials left for winter interest. Divide overgrown perennials before they break dormancy.
April: Plant new perennials, shrubs, and trees. Set up irrigation. First weeding pass before annual weeds set seed.
May: Stake any plants that flop. Deadhead spring bulbs but leave foliage to yellow naturally. Begin monitoring for pests.
June: Major weeding pass. Light pruning of spring-blooming shrubs after flowering. First mowing of any meadow areas if needed.
July: Deep watering rhythm established. Deadhead repeat-blooming perennials. Harvest herbs at peak oil content.
August: Order spring bulbs for fall planting. Monitor irrigation. Take note of gaps and excesses for next year's planning.
September: Plant fall bulbs after the first cool nights. Divide spring-blooming perennials. Cut back tired perennials.
October: Plant trees and shrubs — this is the best month of the year for woody plants in the PNW. Last meadow cut if applicable.
November: Leaf cleanup, but leave some leaves in beds for insect habitat. Apply a thin compost top-dress before winter rains.
December: Rest. Order seeds. Read.