Garden Caretaking Services

Healthy, flourishing gardens require consistent care. New Leaf Eco Landscapes offers garden caretaking contracts for scheduled bi-weekly and monthly maintenance visits. We also offer seasonal visits for mulching, spring cleanup, and fall cleanup services. Our knowledgeable staff have years of experience using ecologically sound garden maintenance methods, while paying close attention to detail.

Scheduled Garden Caretaking Services

We offer bi-weekly and monthly visits for the purpose of:

• Spring cleaning. When temperatures are consistently over 55° F. we begin the season by cutting back herbaceous perennials, cleaning up remaining leaves from the previous fall, applying vermicompost (upon request) and applying 2-3” layer of New Leaf in-house reground mulch.
• Removing weeds and dead/dying plant material. This service reduces the habitat for pests and unwanted fungal issues.
• Deadheading flowers to promote more blooms. Throughout the season we remove all spent flowers after they have bloomed. However, leading up to fall frost, we leave native seed heads intact to winterover. This method, done at the appropriate time, is not solely for aesthetics. This material provides food and habitat for beneficial insects and birds.
• Mulching. Existing garden beds and tree rings get mulched to 2-3” depth.
• Pruning shrubs and small trees. Removing dead or damaged branches helps promote a natural shape, fullness, and health.
• Enriching the soil. We use vermicompost (worm castings) to boost microbial activity in the soil and encourage plant health.
• Removing unhealthy plants. We will replace unhealthy or otherwise compromised plants with appropriate native plants and/or provide comparable substitutes for non-native plant species.
• Identifying and controlling pests. We use hand-picking strategies and appropriate traps to control unwanted pests.
• Installing deer fences or applying deer repellent. This helps prevent animal browse.

Seasonal Caretaking Services

Spring Cleanup

When temperatures are consistently 55° F

• Cutting back. To encourage new growth of greens and flowers, we cut back the native perennial growth from the previous year.
• Removing fallen leaves. Layers of fallen leaves left in garden beds and tree rings can block light and smother plants.
• Removing weeds and dead/dying plant material. Weeding is important in garden beds and tree rings because weeds compete with other plants for resources such as nutrients, space, sunshine, and water. Dead or dying plant material can encourage harmful fungi and insects.
• Mulching existing garden beds and tree rings. We use natural (undyed) mulch, made from local trees at New Leaf’s headquarters, at a depth of 2-3″. Mulch helps retain moisture, protect from erosion, and moderate soil temperature while conditioning the soil as the wood chips decompose.
• Enriching the soil. If agreed upon with the client in advance, we will use vermicompost (worm castings), which provide all of the vital nutrients that plants require.

Fall Cleanup

• Cutting back of all herbaceous perennials and grasses that are not native. Native plants will remain intact so beneficial insects and birds can utilize them through the winter for food and habitat.
• Leaving the leaves! Over the winter, fallen leaves serve as a natural mulch, fertilizing the soil as they break down. They also provide habitat for wildlife, including insects, birds, frogs, and turtles.
• Mulching. If necessary, we will apply a 2-3” layer of mulch in all garden beds and tree rings. Our mulch is ground in-house using tree material generated from New Leaf Tree Services company.
• Enriching the soil with vermicompost (worm castings). Prior to mulching, we offer to apply a thin layer of worm castings to boost soil microbial activity for better plant health.