Five Rules To Prune By

What! When did this happen?

I was looking up, up at my DWARF burning bushes, Euonymus alatus, that were towering above me, at least fifteen feet tall. The lower part of the branches were bare, while green growth was concentrated at the top.

When did I last prune these things?

I did remember pruning them, once upon a time, but how many years ago I could not say. I sighed. I should have done it back in January or February, but I certainly couldn't wait another year. Emergency surgery was needed, and it would not be easy or pretty. 

Rule one: Low maintenance means regular maintenance. A postponed job always involves more work.

I enjoy pruning. It is my favorite of all gardening chores. I shake my head at overgrown or poorly pruned shrubs in other yards, thinking what a difference a good trim would make. Plants enjoy a proper cut! It stimulates new growth and can make a huge difference in a plant's appearance. People neglect pruning for several reasons, but the most common one is lack of knowledge. They are afraid to prune. Others prune, but they prune their shrubs with a one technique fits all, usually a flat top approach with the hedge shears. This results in shrubs with excessive growth on top and little growth below. Ugly!

Rule two: Almost all shrubs benefit from layered pruning, with cuts made at the top, middle, and lower parts of the shrub. The widest part of the shrub should be at the bottom, tapering inward toward the top. If the widest part of the shrub is the top, sunlight will have a hard time reaching the lower branches, and naked stems are the result. Even hedges should be cut slightly wider at the bottom, never trimmed straight across the top.

This is a photo of a couple of the burning bushes after I pruned them. They look traumatized for now, but soon new growth will cover the cuts. I promise not to wait so long next time.

Rule three: Prune at the appropriate time of the year. When is that? It is always good to research individual plants if you don't know anything about them. If you prune a plant at the wrong time, you are unlikely to kill it, but you may lose the next season's blooms or fruit. I doubt if I will have berries this year on my burning bushes, but I am fine with that. Generally, deciduous shrubs that bloom in the spring should be pruned soon after flowering, while summer bloomers should be trimmed late winter/early spring. I like to prune deciduous trees in winter while they are dormant and I can see their branch structure. Dead limbs can be pruned away any time of the year. Evergreens should be pruned as new growth begins in the spring, and light pruning may be done later in the summer if needed. Avoid pruning shrubs and trees in the fall when new growth could suffer frost damage.

I worked hard yesterday to prune my burning bushes. It took several hours, and the hardest part was hauling all those heavy, long limbs to the brush pile. 

Rule four: It is good to have a helper to haul away the trimmings! Lou was gone most of the day, but I was glad to see him when he finally appeared! I was also dreaming of a chipper/shredder as I worked. That is a purchase we are considering.

Rule five: When you are finished, take regular walks to enjoy your garden. Appreciate the results of your labor!

Here are some views taken recently in and around the front garden. Literally, every plant you see has benefited from pruning, some every once in a while, others annually or biannually.The Confederate jasmine on the arch separating the patio from the front garden is in full bloom now. It has a wonderful fragrance! I will prune it after it finishes blooming.

This view is across the front garden, taken beside the patio.

another view across the front garden

A view of lawn and garden. The zoysia lawn, by the way, is fertilized in spring and fall with an all natural fertilizer. No artificial chemicals! All the little creatures love it, and it feels great to bare feet.

This view is taken from the parking court in front of the house.I wish you all a great week, and may you always have time to walk in a garden! Deborah

The Bee and Me

Lou and I were sitting at our patio table recently, enjoying our lunch, when we both noticed a particular bee. He buzzed past my shoulder and headed toward the herb bed, where he hovered a moment, then zoomed back the way he came, passing me on his way to the opposite side of the patio where it joins the front garden.

I took a bite from my sandwich. Zoom. There he was again, back to the herb bed to hover a moment, zoom, past my shoulder once more, over to the front garden side, zoom, zoom, zoom, back and forth, past my shoulder, over and over again.

Here is the front garden beside the patio:

And here is a view toward the herb bed from the opposite end of the patio:I planned the birdhouse in the herb bed to be decorative, but chickadees have moved in!

What was the bee doing? He wasn't aggressive toward me and was not a bit interested in my sandwich. After researching bee behavior I decided he was patrolling, hoping a young queen would pick up his scent marker and mate with him. My shoulder was in his flight path.

Insects seem to be enjoying my garden as much, or more, than I do! Roses and other flowers attract the pollinators:Above, top: Knockout rose. Bottom: 'Penelope' rose.1st row; Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'; Variegated weigela. 2nd row: Dianthus 'Baths Pink' and Phlox divaricata; Columbine hybrid. 3rd row: Purple salvia; Azalea.

It's a fun time of the year to watch all sorts of creatures who make their home in my garden. Besides bees and other flying insects there are plenty of squirrels:

There are also lots of birds, including the Eastern Towhee. One usually sees these birds scratching around on the ground, but I found this one singing in a tree:

Bluebirds have laid eggs in this house:

I peeked, and it looks like there are at least six eggs in there. The birds look busy now, but wait till all those eggs hatch! Mr. Bluebird keeps a watch out from nearby trees and even this power line, which is near his house:

I don't like the ugly telephone pole, which is leaning somewhat to the side and is topped with a mess of machinery, lines, and cables. It is right in the middle of my garden and is an awful eyesore. When I take photos in the area, I work hard to keep it out of the pictures, because in my gardener's eye it doesn't exist. 

But what would I do without it? Technology imposes upon the natural world, but that technology gives the common man a standard of living and comforts unknown by kings of the past. The answer is responsible management, and whatever our politics or level of activism, this must start with the individual. We can destroy, or we can protect. Do I use a nuke-em approach to insects, grabbing the spray that promises to eliminate all of them? Or do I create a habitat that nourishes and protects wildlife? I do make a difference when I use earth-friendly products, when I recycle, when I use compost and natural fertilizers, when I make a hundred other small choices on a daily basis.

The bluebird sits on the power line and guards his home. The bee keeps to his patrol and flies around a big human who sits in the way. Nature adapts, but man has the unique ability to create and improve, to make changes that benefit all the inhabitants of the earth. It is a choice and a privilege.

To read what others are doing to help the environment, see comments at Jan Thanks For Today Gardeners Sustainable Living Project. There are lots of terrific suggestions!