Landscaping Mississauga gardens – best evergreens for dry soil

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The best performing shrubs in dry soil in Peel, Halton, and GTA in general, are junipers and yuccas.

junipers perform well in dry soil

junipers perform well in dry soil

 

Junipers – grow naturally in many dry environments, such as rock outcrops and even sand dunes. There is also a large variety of species to choose from ranging from upright junipers ideal for privacy fences to creeping varieties. They come in different colours from golden green to blue.  The hardiest varieties to look for this season include the following: ground hugging Calgary Carpet or Blue Coast, and upright medium height Limeglow or New Blue Tamarix, and Blue Chip that can be used for the flower garden background or property dividing green fence when trimmed regularly.

 

 

 

yuccas, such as Andrew's needle tolerate dry soil and look striking in the dry garden

yuccas, such as Andrew’s needle tolerate dry soil and look striking in the dry garden

Yuccas do not require watering once they are established.  They grow a long taproot and are able to find all the water they need on their own.  In search of water, they  also spread, and if they find hospitable conditions, they may even become invasive, so regular weeding and root dividing may be necessary. Yuccas look like desert plants with spiky, pointed leaves. In July, they also display tall 150 cm – 175 cm (5’ – 6’) flowers pictured here.  The beauty of yuccas, such as Andrew’s Needle above, lies also in the fact that they are very easy to share with your neighbours – all you need to to is to chop put a part of your shrub’s roots and give it to your neighbour to plant in their garden…..

Landscaping Mississauga gardens – Lawn weeds control

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crabgrassBefore we say anything else, it is important to note that it is difficult if not impossible for weeds to invade dense, healthy turf and so they are seldom a serious problem on well-constructed and properly maintained lawns.  Weeds can be troublesome on neglected areas or lawns on poor soil. Although hand pulling is practical when weeds are sparse, high weed populations require chemical treatment. If weeds continue to invade after proper chemical treatment, some other facet of maintenance is at fault and steps should be taken to remedy the failing.

Chemicals used to control weeds in established lawns are called herbicides and are applied as preemergence or postemergence treatments.  Preeemergence herbicides are applied before weed seeds germinate and as the the seeds or seedlings begin growth they absorb enough chemical to kill them. Permanent lawn grasses are relatively unaffected. Postemergence herbicides are applied after weed seed germination when the weeds are in active growth, and such formulations do not greatly affect affect lawn grasses. Some chemicals are selective in that they kill only broad-leaved plants but not grass.  Others are nonselective and kill both weeds and lawn grasses.

  • Correctly identifying the weed and then selecting a proper chemical for its control are crucial.
  • Timing is also important. For example, dandelions may be controlled in midspring and late summer in Ontario because they are growing actively and are very susceptible to selective chemicals.
  • Choose a clear day with little or no air movement and temperatures of 15-25 C degrees. Such weather permits rapid absorption and uptake of the chemical with little chance of drift or spread beyond the treated area.
  • Do not apply herbicides during the excessive heat.
  • Follow exactly the directions on the package regarding dosages.
  • Keep all containers out of the reach of children and pets.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after using the chemicals.
  • Do not use the same sprayer for different pesticides because it is virtually impossible to rinse out all traces of toxic herbicides; use separate sprayers and label them clearly.