AntoineAsphalt.ca
Mowing & trimming
- Regular mowing at a set height (Landscape Ontario recommends 6–8 cm)
- Trimming around signs, posts, trees and fences
- Edging along walks and curbs
- Clippings blown off walks and parking areas
What's included
Four services, priced as one season contract or chosen one by one.
Beds, pruning & mulch
- Hand-weeding and bed edging
- Mulch top-ups
- Shrub and hedge pruning, timed to each plant
- A nest check before hedge work in nesting season
Spring & fall cleanups
- Winter debris and grit cleared from lawns and beds
- Perennials and grasses cut back
- Leaves removed before snowfall
- Beds tidied and edged for the season
Turf care
- Pulling small plugs of soil out of the lawn so air, water and seed reach the roots.
- Spreading grass seed over an existing lawn to thicken it. to thicken thin turf
- Fertilizing on the Southern Ontario calendar
- Weed suppression through healthy turf, without banned products
For home lawns and gardens, see Spring cleanup → and Fall cleanup →.
Built by us, kept by us
Most grounds contractors inherit a site they know nothing about. When we built it, we already know the plant list, the drainage and the warranty dates. If we didn't, we start with a site walk.
- 1
Build
Hardscape, walls and planting to the approved plan.
Site-plan landscaping → - 2
Accept
Deficiencies closed and the as-planted record handed over.
Close-out details → - 3
Establish
The first growing seasons: mulch, pruning and replacing plants that fail.
Planting milestones ↓ - 4
Maintain
A season contract with a written scope.
What's included ↑ - 5
Improve
New beds, trees, interlock repairs and walls when the budget allows.
Tree planting & upgrades →
The season, month by month
Typical timing for Southern Ontario. Weather moves every date.
March
- Cleanup
Spring cleanup starts when the snow is gone and the ground firms up: debris, winter grit and litter off lawns and beds.
- Watch
Bird nesting season starts in late March. Hedges and shrubs are checked for active nests before any shearing.
April
- Cleanup
Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses; edge beds.
- Mow
First mowing when the grass starts growing.
- Turf
Early-spring fertilizing, if it's in your spec.
May
- Mow
Regular mowing at 6–8 cm.
- Beds
Mulch top-ups. Prune spring-flowering shrubs right after they finish blooming.
- Turf
Late-spring fertilizing, if it's in your spec.
June
- Mow
Mowing on your contract schedule. Landscape Ontario calls weekly mowing important in peak growth.
- Beds
Hand-weeding and trimming.
- Watch
Nesting season: nest checks before hedge work.
July
- Mow
Mowing continues on schedule.
- Beds
Weeding and shaping.
- Watch
Halton's odd/even watering rule applies to businesses, too.
August
- Turf
Mid-August to mid-September is the best window for core aeration, overseeding and the first fall fertilizing (OMAFA).
- Watch
Nesting season winds down in late August.
September
- Turf
Aeration and overseeding window closes in mid-September.
- Beds
Hedge trimming and shaping for fall.
October
- Mow
Raise the mowing height slightly for fall (OMAFA).
- Turf
Late fall fertilizing once the grass stops growing but is still green, usually mid- to late October.
- Cleanup
Leaf cleanup begins.
November
- Cleanup
Final leaf cleanup. Leaves come off before snowfall (OMAFA).
- Mow
Final cut.
- Watch
If we also handle your snow, the site is walked and staked before the first storm.
Build your grounds spec
Showcase: always crisp — frequent mowing, tight edges, fresh mulch. Standard: neat and regular. Low-input: safe and tidy, mowed less often.
Grounds spec — Retail plaza
Rough size: To confirm Entrance & frontage: Showcase Main lawns & beds: Standard Side & rear areas: Low-input Service, loading & storage areas: Low-input Peak-season mowing: Weekly Cleanups: Both Fall cleanup visits: One Mulch: Top-up every year Shrub & hedge pruning: Once a season Turf care: Not selected Nest checks: Yes Start: To confirm Term: One season Billing preference: Not sure Add snow & ice management: No
Can we spray that? Ontario's pesticide rules, simply
Ontario bans most pesticides for cosmetic use on lawns, gardens, patios, driveways, parks and schoolyards. Here's what that means for your site.
Weeds in lawns
For appearance, only products on Ontario's Allowable List can be used. The best weed control is thick turf: mowing at 6–8 cm, overseeding, aeration and fall fertilizing crowd weeds out.
Weeds in beds
Hand-weeding, a mulch layer and dense planting. Bare soil grows weeds.
Weeds in interlock and parking-lot joints
The ban covers patios and driveways too. Pull or scrape weeds, then fix the cause: open joints. Re-sanding or repairing pavers is a job for our hardscape crews.
Commercial hardscape & interlock →Poison ivy or giant hogweed
Plants that are poisonous to touch fall under a health-and-safety exception. Treatment is done by a licensed exterminator. We'll flag them when we see them.
Insects or disease on trees
Tree pests have their own rules. Have an arborist assess the tree first.
New planting? Track the milestones that matter
Site-plan landscaping has to survive its first seasons. Missed watering or dead plants can hold up close-out. Enter a few details to see the usual milestones.
Accepted
October 2026
First growing seasons
Spring to fall after acceptance. Watering, mulch, weeding and replacing failed plants matter most now.
1-year mark · October 2027
Hamilton's standard landscape notes call for at least a one-year contractor warranty from acceptance.
What we can do in this period: mulch, weeding, pruning, and replacement planting quoted through our planting crews →
General planning information. Your site plan agreement and the City's conditions govern. Confirm dates with the City before relying on them.
What we look at on a site walk
Turf
Thin areas, weeds, compaction, mowing height.
Beds
Mulch depth, weeds, edges, plant health.
Shrubs & hedges
Form, overgrowth, sightlines at entrances.
Trees
Low limbs over walks and parking. City-owned trees are flagged; they need a permit or City crews.
Drainage
Low spots, washouts and soggy turf.
Hardscape
Heaved or sunken pavers and trip edges.
Accessible routes
Overgrowth or debris on paths, ramps and accessible parking.
Winter readiness
Where snow will go and what salt will hit.
You get a written scope after the walk.
How maintenance contracts usually work
Based on Landscape Ontario's sample commercial contract. Read any contract for these four things.
A season price, often split into equal monthly payments.
Inclusions and extras written down: what's in the base price and what's quoted separately.
Extra work approved in writing, often with a purchase order number.
A clear termination clause. Landscape Ontario's sample uses 60 days' written notice.
Why grounds matter
higher office rents with high-quality landscaping, in one US study (Laverne & Winson-Geideman, 2003).
how much more shoppers said they'd pay in tree-lined shopping districts (survey responses, not measured spending).
Rules to know
Cosmetic pesticide ban
Most pesticides can't be used for appearance on lawns, gardens, patios, driveways, parks or schoolyards. Only Allowable List products, with exceptions such as poison ivy.
Read the guide →City trees
In Hamilton, pruning or injuring a tree on City property needs a permit. That includes a tree with half or more of its trunk on City land. In Burlington, City crews prune public trees.
Private tree permits
Burlington: removing a private tree 20 cm or more across needs a permit; light pruning of up to a third of the crown doesn't. Oakville: removals of 15 cm or more need a permit. Hamilton is consolidating its private tree by-laws, so check the current rules.
Nesting birds
Federal rules protect active nests. In this region, nesting season runs from late March to late August, so hedges are checked before shearing.
Watering limits
Halton (Burlington, Oakville) uses an odd/even watering rule that applies to businesses; new sod can be watered until it’s established. Hamilton posts its own restrictions.
Accessible routes
Ontario's accessibility standards require many organizations to plan maintenance for accessible outdoor elements, such as exterior paths and accessible parking. Our site walks note overgrowth and debris on these routes.
Short summaries for planning. Check them against the current rules, your municipality’s conditions and your design professional.
Common questions
What's included in a commercial maintenance contract?
Whatever the written scope says. Ours covers mowing and trimming, beds, pruning and mulch, spring and fall cleanups, and turf care such as aeration, overseeding and fertilizing. You can take all four or pick what you need.
Can you maintain a site you didn't build?
Yes. We start with a site walk, note what's there and what needs attention, then write the scope.
Do you spray weeds?
Not with banned products. Ontario's cosmetic pesticide ban limits weed control to Allowable List products. We rely on healthy turf, hand-weeding and mulch, which also hold up better.
Do you prune City trees?
No. Trees on City property need a permit or City crews. We flag low limbs and conflicts so you can contact the City.
Can you take over during the warranty or establishment period after construction?
Yes. That's where we're strongest: we know the plant list and the warranty dates, and we can quote replacement planting if something fails.
Do you also handle snow?
Yes. See commercial snow & ice management for lot plowing, sidewalk crews and salt & ice control.
Which areas do you cover?
Hamilton (including Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek and Waterdown), Burlington and Oakville.
Request a maintenance proposal
Tell us about the property. We'll arrange a site walk and send a written scope with pricing.