No Yellow Meatballs
So the winter damage has been fixed and spring cleanups are about finished. Which means that many homeowners, and landscape companies, are now turning their attention to pruning.
I understand the importance of pruning but one of my pet peeves is pruning shrubs into shapes that are contrary to their natural form. This is especially true of forsythia.
Too many people trim them into “meatballs” figuring, I guess, that a round shape is good.
Not so.
Forsythia is a naturally graceful arching shrub and training it into a ball, in my opinion, is like asking a ballerina to dance in clogs.
The best time to prune forsythia is in the spring, right after blooming and then I like to remove ¼ to 1/3 of the largest stems to the ground. If you have a very old forsythia you can cut it drastically to within 4” of the ground and it will come back. This type of pruning is referred to as renovation or rejuvenation pruning.
Why would anyone torture a plant like this?
Isn’t this so much better?
Pruning forsythia later in the summer will likely result in fewer flowers as you will undoubtedly remove buds that have already set. Check out Garden Seeker for a great guide for pruning shrubs .
If you have not yet pruned your forsythia consider skipping this year. Just let the ballerina dance.
And if you must have meatballs, make spaghetti.
Learn About Our Garden Maintenance Program
Gamble with a Spade and Seeds
“One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of garden seeds.” ― Dan Bennett
Read More»Forest Bathing
Shinrin-yoku is a term that means “taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers primarily in Japan and South Korea have established a robust body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest.
The idea is simple: if a person simply visits a natural area and walks in a relaxed way there are calming, rejuvenating, and restorative benefits to be achieved.
Read More»I Would Not Have Thought Of That!
It was truly an honor to present to the Wareham Garden Club this month. I had a blast chatting it up with the members while I created three container gardens. Members seemed to enjoy the hints and suggestions I brought along to help them learn to make truly outstanding, one might say ‘jaw-dropping’, container gardens. As always, I encouraged the members to think creatively and with an eye to the art of mixing plants and other elements.
 |  |
 |  |
I was thrilled to receive this note from Wareham Garden Club member, Nancy:
Read More»My Apologies to Mary
Years ago, a very wonderful friend of mine was espousing the virtues of hostas. Conjuring up an image in my mind of the cemetery variety, I replied that they were nothing but slug bait.
Thankfully my friend did not slug me! As a former president of the New England Hosta Society, she must have looked at me as a challenge and over the years kept pointing out unusual varieties. Her persistence paid off, and now I’m hooked. Having already mentioned that my favorite color is green, hostas already have one thing going for them. And the more I use them the more I love them.
Follow Us!