# Garden bed installation, planting and mulching in Markham URL: https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/garden-beds-planting/ Updated: 2026-10-13 By: Hotiv Landscaping, Markham, Ontario. Call or text (437) 684-2535. **Short answer:** We do garden bed installation and makeovers in Markham and nearby: weeds and sod out, better soil, new plants, clean edges, mulch. We plant at the right depth and spacing and finish with 5–10 cm of mulch. Existing beds can simply be weeded, edged and mulched. The goal is a bed that stays tidy with a little weeding through the season. Most tired garden beds started out fine. A few seasons on, grass has crept in from the lawn, weeds fill every gap and the mulch has faded or washed onto the walkway. Other yards have no beds at all, just lawn up to the foundation. Garden bed installation covers both: we build new beds and bring old ones back. ## What the job includes - Planning the bed shape and plants with you on site - Pulling weeds by the root and cutting out sod and creeping grass - Loosening the soil, with fresh soil or compost where it's poor - Planting perennials, shrubs and annuals at the right depth and spacing - A clean cut edge or a border against the lawn - Mulch at an even depth, watering in and taking the debris away ## Price depends on - Size of the bed, new or existing - Sod, weeds or old shrubs to remove - Amount and type of soil and mulch - Number and size of plants - Type of edge or border - Access to the yard ## Common garden bed problems The complaints sound a lot alike from yard to yard: - You can't tell where the bed ends and the lawn starts anymore. - You weed it every weekend and it still looks messy. - The front of the house looks bare, and you'd like planting that isn't fussy. - The shrubs came with the house and half of them have died. Underneath most of those is bare soil, no clear edge and plants that don't suit the spot. Fix that and the bed gets much easier to live with. Our [weed treatment and garden clean-up project](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/projects/weed-treatment-cleanup/) shows one: a bed along a fence that had disappeared under weeds and long grass. ## What does garden bed installation involve? The same six steps apply to a small bed by the front step or a long border along the back fence: 1. We walk the yard with you, look at sun and shade, and agree on the bed shape and roughly what goes in it. 2. We mark out the shape and cut it in. For a new bed the sod comes off; for an old one we pull weeds by the root and dig out the grass that has spread in. 3. We loosen the soil and work in fresh soil or compost where it's thin, heavy clay or full of old roots. 4. Plants go in at the right depth and spacing, with room to fill in over two or three years without crowding. 5. We cut a clean edge against the lawn, or put in a border for a firmer line. On our [sod, edging and mulch project](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/projects/sod-edging-mulch/) that meant a curved interlock edge, and our guide to [garden bed edging](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/garden-bed-edging/) compares cut, plastic, steel and interlock edges. 6. Mulch goes down at an even depth, pulled back from stems and trunks. We water everything in and take the debris away. If your beds only need tidying, we skip the planting and do the weeding, edging and mulch. That often fits into a [spring or fall cleanup](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/seasonal-cleanup/). ## What affects the price of a new garden bed? Size and how much has to come out first move the price most. Lifting sod or digging out old shrubs and their roots takes longer than weeding a bed that's already there. Plants are the next big part. Larger shrubs cost more than small pots that take a season or two to fill in, and a stone or interlock border costs more than a simple cut edge. Access matters too: a front bed by the driveway is quicker than a backyard bed everything has to be wheeled to. We give a free quote after we've seen the space, so you know the cost before anything starts. ## When is the best time to plant a garden bed in Ontario? Spring and early fall. In spring we start once the ground has thawed and dried enough to work, and [Landscape Ontario](https://landscapeontario.com/plant-resource-faq) gives May 24 as the traditional start of safe planting for most annuals in southern Ontario. Fall suits trees and shrubs. Landscape Ontario's [fall gardening checklist](https://landscapeontario.com/fall-gardening-checklist) says to plant them at least six weeks before frost and keep watering until the ground freezes. Mulching and bed cleanups can happen any time the ground isn't frozen. ## How do you look after a new garden bed? Water deeply during dry spells instead of a light sprinkle every day. Landscape Ontario advises the same, because it gets roots growing down. Pull weeds while they're small, and keep the mulch at the right depth: | What | How much or how often | Source | |---|---|---| | Wood or bark mulch depth | 5–10 cm (2–4 in), less on poorly drained soil | [Penn State Extension](https://extension.psu.edu/mulching-landscape-trees) | | Bare ring around young plants | 8–13 cm (3–5 in) | [Cornell](https://turfweeds.cals.cornell.edu/pfm/mulch) | | Topping up bark or wood mulch | Every 2–3 years | [Cornell](https://turfweeds.cals.cornell.edu/pfm/mulch) | > **Good to know:** Most beds don't need a full new layer of mulch every spring. Check them each April and top up only where it has thinned. Our [mulch guide](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/mulch-guide/) explains how much to order. Shrubs need trimming at the right time for each plant. Our guide on [when to trim hedges and shrubs in Ontario](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/when-to-trim-hedges-ontario/) covers that, or we can take it on with [hedge and bush trimming](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/hedge-trimming/). ## Should you build a garden bed yourself? Mulching one small bed is a fine weekend job. New beds are where hiring help pays off: lifting sod, wheeling soil and mulch, digging dozens of holes and hauling the debris away. If you want something that needs little upkeep, start with our guide to [low-maintenance garden beds](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/low-maintenance-garden-beds/). ## Garden beds around Markham We work across [Markham](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/areas/markham/) and nearby, including [Richmond Hill](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/areas/richmond-hill/), [Stouffville](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/areas/stouffville/) and [Thornhill](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/areas/thornhill/). The quickest way to start is to [text a few photos](sms:+14376842535?&body=Hi%20Hotiv%2C%20I%27d%20like%20a%20quote.%20Here%20are%20some%20photos%20of%20the%20area%3A) of the beds to [(437) 684-2535](tel:+14376842535) with your street or postal code. We'll arrange a visit and give you a free quote. ## Signs it's time - Weeds and grass have taken over and you can't see where the bed ends - Bare soil that cracks in summer and turns to mud after rain - Shrubs that have outgrown the spot or died off in patches - Old mulch that has faded grey or washed onto the walkway - A front yard that's all lawn and you'd like some planting by the house - No crisp line between the grass and the bed ## Questions about garden beds, planting & mulching ### What is the best time of year to plant a garden in Ontario? Spring, once the soil has thawed and dried out, and early fall are the two main windows. Landscape Ontario's fall checklist says to plant new trees and shrubs early enough to give them at least six weeks before frost, and to keep watering them until the ground freezes. For most annuals it gives May 24 as the traditional start of safe planting. Summer planting works too, but new plants need a lot more watering in the heat. ### Do you just mulch existing beds, or only build new ones? We do both, and bringing an existing bed back is often all it needs: weeding it out, redefining the edge, topping up the soil and putting down fresh mulch. When a bed is in the wrong place or full of dying shrubs, we'll suggest reshaping or replanting it instead. ### How much does a new garden bed cost? It depends on the size of the bed, how much has to come out first (sod, weeds, old shrubs), how much soil and mulch go in, and the number and size of the plants. Easy access to the backyard helps too. We don't quote blind, so we come out, look at the space with you and give you a free quote. ### How do I get a quote for garden bed work? Call or text (437) 684-2535, or send the quote form with your street or postal code. A couple of photos of the area help us see the job before we visit. We then come out, talk through what you'd like and give you a free quote. ## Related guides - [How much mulch do you need? A calculator, the right depth and when to mulch](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/mulch-guide/) - [Lowest-maintenance landscaping: garden beds for GTA yards](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/low-maintenance-garden-beds/) - [Garden bed edging: interlock, steel, plastic or a spade-cut edge, and which lasts in Ontario](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/garden-bed-edging/) - [Spring cleanup checklist for Ontario yards](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/spring-cleanup-checklist/) - [Fall cleanup checklist: what to do before winter](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/guides/fall-cleanup-checklist/) ## Related services - [Spring & fall cleanups](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/seasonal-cleanup/) - [Hedge & bush trimming](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/hedge-trimming/) - [Sod installation & lawn repair](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/sod-installation/) - [Lawn mowing & lawn care](https://hotivlandscaping.ca/services/lawn-care/)