Calendar
A year in the garden, month by month
This is the calendar we write for Portland yards: rain, dry summers and mild winters. We adjust it to your garden at the visit.
- 01
January
Bare structure shows. A good month to look at bones and plan.
Prune dormant maples and fruit trees from late January
Check stone steps for slick moss
Clear drains after storms
- 02
February
The last cold nights. Pruning finishes before the sap rises.
Finish dormant pruning by the end of the month
Cover tender plants before frost
Order stone and trees for spring
- 03
March
The rains bring moss back to color and buds start to swell.
Weed gravel before seed sets
Plant bare-root and early spring shrubs
Divide ferns and ground covers
- 04
April
Azaleas open. The garden asks for its first full tidy.
Rake gravel back into its lines
Restart pumps and clean the water feature
Refresh mulch where beds are open
- 05
May
New pine growth is ready to pinch.
Pinch pine candles by hand
Prune azaleas as the flowers fade
Set up watering for the dry months
- 06
June
Growth is fast and the weather turns. Water habits start now.
Water young trees deeply once a week or as needed
Shape evergreens lightly
Shade moss and new maples through the afternoon
- 07
July
Dry and hot. Water carefully and cut little.
Water at dawn
Mist moss in a heat wave
Top up ponds and basins
- 08
August
The driest month. The garden holds, and you rest.
Check maples for leaf scorch
Keep the water running and clean
Avoid planting until fall
- 09
September
Cooler nights and the first rains. Plan the fall work.
Walk the garden and list what to add
Reseed or patch any bare ground
Start light needle thinning
- 10
October
The best month to plant trees, shrubs and moss.
Plant while the soil is warm and the rain returns
Thin pine needles by hand
Lift leaves off moss with a soft rake
- 11
November
Leaves fall and the garden turns inward.
Keep leaves off moss and gravel
Clear drains before the long rains
Winterize pumps that need it
- 12
December
Quiet. The design shows without its leaves.
Check steps, lanterns and edges
Review the year with us
Plan next season's work
Timing shifts with the weather. We confirm each job for your yard.
Next step
Want the calendar written for your yard?
Every garden we build comes with its own season-by-season notes, so you know what is due and what to leave alone.