Where are you located (nearest city & state)?

Omgsh thanks for getting back to me. I live in North Eastern Ontario. She told me:

Weed the gardens, trim, clean up the edges, plants these bulbs in the empty spots in the front gardens, then come back once a week to maintain. She has a ton of plants/flowers from last year that are still in the ground (tulips and others) and she says they're going to regrow, but I don't know how to ensure they actually grow. Some leaves are essentially flattened and I don't know how to make them stand up straight. It's already June, so I have such a short time span to get this done.

(her house is waterfront. Along the Ottawa river)

Okay, I could tell you about resources in Virginia but that wouldn't help LOL. We need a Canadian member to speak to resources supporting new gardeners in Ontario.

The spring bulbs should have flattened foliage now. When it yellows you trim it off. They will absolutely come back next spring.

If you'd like to photograph each garden and post photos here, forum members can identify plants and give suggestions.

I absolutely will do that! Thank you so much. I hope you're available tomorrow, that's when I'm going back to her house. I'll send photos on our chat in the morning. God bless your heart!

Start with the plants you *know* are weeds. Dandelions, tiny maple trees, lawn grass, clover - things like that. Try not to step on non-weeds when pulling them out. Depending on how wide the beds are, this may be difficult, but try.

What kind of edging do the beds have? Is there a permanent edging, or are the edges just cut into the ground? Cleaning up the edges can make a garden look much better fast, and doesn't necessarily take a lot of know-how. (the exception is geometric beds without permanent edging that have to be re-measured every year)

Bulbs should have planting instructions with them. If they don't, ask here, or do a web search. They should be planted root side down, at a depth determined by what they are. If you aren't sure which side is the top, and which side has the roots on it, plant them sideways. Seriously.

Bulbs that bloom in the spring are planted in the fall. Bulbs that bloom in the fall are planted in the spring. If you plant spring-blooming bulbs in the spring, you should not expect them to bloom before next year.

To plant plants she's bought, you need to know the size of the plant and what else is there. If the plant is tiny, you can pretty safely plant it at the front. After that, you need to know either where she wants it planted, or what else is in the bed and the mature size of what you are planting.

She can't sit outside for too long. It's insanely hot, and the mosquitos are absolutely insane. Thank you so much everyone for your comments/questions/help. I'll send pictures in the morning as soon as I get there

Asking someone who knows nothing about plants to take care of a garden is asking for disaster, even if you do the best you can. I have someone helping me this year who knows nothing, but I work with her and she's learning. The only job I leave her to do alone is edging--after I taught her how to do it.

Even in Ontario, the spring bulb bloom is probably over. They won't bloom again until next spring. Don't remove the foliage until it is dried up. Spring blooming bulbs should be planted in the fall, summer blooming bulbs ASAP.

If your friend can't get outside much you could take pictures, preferably large eg on an iPad, and ask her to identify the plants and advise on their treatment. Or you could ask here.

Exactly what I was going to say. She can tell you from the pictures what the plants are and how they need to be treated. You are brave to take this on. Bravo!

Thanks everyone. For those who said it would be a disaster hiring someone who knows nothing about gardening to take care of your garden, I completely agree. However, this woman doesn't have a choice. My town has 4k population, 65% of which is age 55+. None of the young folks here want to work. She can't find a gardener. Her kids don't live here and said if she can't maintain the house, they'll put her in a retirement home And force her to sell. I'm gonna try my best to help her.

I just need help/advice 🙏

Alright so here's the garden I'm doing now:

Are my photos not showing up,?

She wants these gone. Wants me to plant canna Lily bulbs

Cannas probably will bloom before the end of the summer.

You want to plant them 4-6 inches deep and 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on whether it is a small, medium or large variety. If you don't know, I'd go with 1.5-2 feet apart. If you live in zone 7 or warmer, you can probably leave them in the ground over the winter. Any colder and you should dig them up and store them, although some people view them as disposable.

Sometimes planting bulbs with turkey grit will save them from the voles and moles, but some bulbs aren't attractive to the critters.

I turned up the soil. Got rid of the plant. About to plant the lily bulbs. Should I put compost in the hole before planting? Or only on top?

only on top

Thank you... Moving forward I will. Hopefully I didn't screw up too many

Thanks so much

Have you considered asking at your local nursery?

Plant Recommendations for the area, maintainance : watering, weeding.

Do you have local business that plant annuals as outside decoration, maybe use that for inspiration.

Isnt it late to plant lily bulbs?

Cannas, not lilies. They grow from rhizomes rather than bulbs. Later blooming than lilies and they need hot weather.. Not winter hardy in Ontario I'm pretty sure.

Pity you dug up the other plant. It looks like the hardy perennial, Rudbeckia laciniata, and it would have flowered this summer and every year in future.

I took over someone's garden and knew zilch nada nothing about gardening. (And pretended I did!) YouTube was my go to source.

This is going to be a TON of work.

Just a heads up that you need to get realistic about what she is used to and what she needs now. It is entirely possible that she needs to think about retiring some of the beds and covering them with as low maintenance ground cover as possible.

If she can't get outside a lot, which beds can she see from her windows and enjoy from inside? Make those the beds you spend most of your time one. What matters most is that her property looks well cared for and she has some bit of the old to continue enjoying.

Tulips are not as reliable to bloom every Spring. Daffodils (Narcissus) are very reliable and come in colors from yellow to pink and white. Plant in the fall. Work some bone meal into the soil at the bottom of the planting hole. Bulbs narrow end pointing up a few inches below the surface.

Plants carried at a local nursery are for the area as long as they are not indoor plants. Flower beds are not completely full is okay as long as dead plants, twigs and leaves are removed and the soil is kept fresh pulling weeds and loosening the soil where it is compacted.

Everygreen plants that stay green in the winter keep it from looking barren and add greenery among the flowers. I don't know if roses grow in Ontario but groundcover or freeway roses are very hardy and easy to grow and usually disease resistant. Ornamental grasses are a beautiful addtion and give motion in the breeze. Cut back in the fall. Again, I don't know about Ontario so if the nursery has them probably fine.

Look at the tag for the growing needs of any plant, sun/shade, watering, spacing etc.