Landscape maintenance in Pickering means keeping the lawn cut, the edges clean, the garden beds tidy and the leaves cleared, on a schedule that keeps up with the growing season. The City of Pickering expects it too: its clean yards rules cap grass and weeds at 15 centimetres, and owners are responsible for the City boulevard in front of their homes. Michael Durham Landscaping maintains Pickering lawns and gardens on a weekly or every-two-weeks schedule, so the yard stays in shape without you watching the calendar.
What a Pickering Maintenance Plan Covers
Our lawn maintenance visits follow a set route, so your lawn is cut on the same day by the same crew.
- Weekly or bi-weekly cutting. Weekly suits the peak growing months of May to September, and every two weeks suits slower lawns.
- Trimming and edging. String trimming along beds, walkways and fences, and line edging along the driveway and curb.
- Mulched clippings. Clippings stay on the lawn by default to feed the soil; bagging is available on request.
- Seasonal care. Spring dethatching, summer fertilization and fall aeration and overseeding can be built into the plan, along with a four-application fertilization program.
Garden beds and hedges are handled through garden maintenance visits, with weeding, deadheading, edge trimming, mulch top-ups and pruning on a documented checklist. For spring and fall, our yard cleanups clear leaves and debris from the front curb to the back fence and haul it all away.
Pickering's Clean Yards Standards
The City's Property Standards and Clean Yards page sums up what Property Standards By-law 7887/21 and the Clean and Clear By-law 6832/08 expect from residential properties, vacant or occupied. For lawn and garden care, the key points are:
- Grass and weeds can be no longer than 15 centimetres. A lawn that misses two or three cuts in a wet spring can pass that quickly.
- Garden refuse counts as debris. Yards must be kept clear of refuse, and the City's list includes garden refuse and earth or rock fill, so piles of trimmings or soil left sitting in a side yard can be a problem.
- Yards need ground cover. The City gives grass, concrete, flagstone, gravel and asphalt as examples. Bare, eroding patches are worth reseeding or covering.
- Eavestroughs and downspouts must be kept in good repair. Leaves that clog gutters in the fall are part of that.
The Boulevard in Front of Your Home
Pickering's Boulevard Maintenance page explains that the strip of land nearest the street is municipal property, but the owner is responsible for maintaining it. Under Boulevard Maintenance By-law 6831/08:
- Grass and weeds on the boulevard also cannot exceed 15 centimetres.
- No plantings are allowed within 0.6 metres of a sidewalk, within 1.8 metres of the curb where there is no sidewalk, or within 1.5 metres of the top of the bank of a roadside ditch.
- Plantings cannot be taller than 1.0 metre above the boulevard, and nothing may be planted where it blocks a sidewalk or creates a traffic safety issue.
- Rocks, bricks, concrete slabs, light fixtures, pillars, signage and fences are not allowed on the boulevard.
That matters for maintenance as much as for new plantings. If a shrub on the boulevard has grown past 1.0 metre or is creeping over the sidewalk, regular hedge trimming keeps it within the by-law. Requests to maintain or remove trees the City planted go to the City's Customer Care Centre, not to a private contractor, and the City's Frequently Asked Questions note that once a subdivision has been assumed, planting or removing boulevard trees is managed by the City.
When Lawn Equipment Can Run in Pickering
Pickering's Noise By-law 8048/23 prohibits running yard maintenance equipment such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chain saws and hedge trimmers after 9:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. Snow blowers have a slightly earlier start, from 6:00 a.m. The by-law is enforced by Durham Regional Police and the City's Municipal Law Enforcement Services.
For homeowners who cut their own grass after work, that sets a firm end to the evening.
Rules change, so confirm the current by-laws with the City of Pickering before relying on them.
Commercial Properties in Pickering
The 15 centimetre limit and the boulevard duty apply to businesses as well. For plazas, offices, rental properties and multi-unit buildings, our commercial property maintenance contracts combine lawn care, garden upkeep, seasonal cleanups and snow management in one agreement.
Common Questions
How long can grass get in Pickering?
15 centimetres. The City's clean yards rules set that limit for yards, and the Boulevard Maintenance By-law sets the same limit for the boulevard in front of your home.
What time can I start mowing in Pickering?
7:00 a.m. Pickering's Noise By-law prohibits lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chain saws and hedge trimmers after 9:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m.
Who trims the boulevard in front of my house in Pickering?
The property owner. The boulevard is municipal land, but the City makes owners responsible for maintaining it, including keeping grass under 15 centimetres and plantings under 1.0 metre.
Who handles trees the City planted on my boulevard?
The City. Requests to maintain or remove trees planted by or for the City go to Pickering's Customer Care Centre.
Book Landscape Maintenance in Pickering
Contact us for a free quote on lawn and garden maintenance for your Pickering property. For seasonal timing, read our fall lawn care tips for Durham Region, and for patios, sod and other projects, see landscaping in Pickering.
Sources: City of Pickering, Property Standards and Clean Yards; City of Pickering, Boulevard Maintenance; City of Pickering, Noise By-law; City of Pickering, Frequently Asked Questions.