One of the most common mistakes is doing all your garden maintenance in one go, in spring, and then neglecting it for the rest of the year. A healthy garden needs care spread throughout the year, with different tasks depending on the season. This is the guide we follow at Jardinería Palamós for the gardens we look after in the area.
Spring — the busiest season
- Formative and flowering pruning for shrubs and hedges.
- The first feed of the year, as plants start growing again.
- Checking and restarting the irrigation system after winter.
- Reseeding any natural lawn areas that suffered over winter.
- Early preventive pest treatments, before pests take hold as the weather warms up.
Summer — watering and monitoring, not forced growth
On the Costa Brava, summer is the critical season for watering. The key rules: water early (before 8am) or after sunset, never during the hottest hours, and adjust frequency based on actual rainfall rather than a fixed schedule — overwatering is just as harmful as underwatering. It’s also the time to watch for local pests, such as aphids on young plants or pine processionary moth, which are best treated early before they affect the whole plant.
Autumn — the best time to plant and renew
Contrary to what many people think, autumn — not spring — is the best time to plant trees and shrubs in a Mediterranean climate: the soil is still warm, which helps roots establish, and plants arrive stronger the following summer. It’s also the time to clear fallen leaves, aerate the lawn and get the garden ready for the cold.
Winter — structural pruning and planning
With plants dormant, winter is the ideal time for the heaviest structural pruning on deciduous trees, without harming their development. It’s also when we plan design changes or improvements for the coming year with our clients, taking advantage of the garden’s quietest point in the year.
Common mistakes that shorten a garden’s life
- Watering at the same time and amount all year, without adapting to the season.
- Over-feeding, thinking “more is better” — it can burn the roots.
- Only pruning once the garden “looks bad” instead of doing it preventively.
- Not checking the irrigation system at the start of each season, which lets leaks or clogged drippers go unnoticed for weeks.
Full maintenance isn’t just “mowing the lawn now and then” — it’s a year-round plan that prevents big problems (pests, sick plants, badly set watering) before they appear. If you’d like your garden to always be at its best without having to think about it yourself, at Jardinería Palamós we handle the full maintenance management for you. Request a free quote.