Last month my neighbor asked for my professional opinion on what he should do with the shrubs in front of his house. I’m not usually that harsh when it comes to plants. If possible, I would rather move them or prune then. But this was an amorphous mass of azaleas growing into one another. After years of shearing, they had thick treelike branches with tiny new growth sticking out like a bad haircut. In early spring the garrish, multi-color blooms were too much to bear. “Rip them out” I told him. My neighbor shook his head in agreement and went on to disregard my good advise.
A couple of weeks later a frien stopped by to pick up the parrot I babysat for a night. Yes, you heard right, I babysat a parrot. On her way out she commented on my yard “I love your yard. It’s so wild looking”. I think she meant this as a compliment. She went on to say she wished she could have her yard like this. I didn’t ask why she couldn’t, but I had my suspicions. I am constantly pruning my the plantings in my yard and the fact that they look “wild” is testiment that I am doing something right. I have an acre of land and it is a constant project that I enjoy. Fortunately I live in a rural area with no neighbors immediately around me. My friend, on the other hand, are under a lot of pressure to keep up the appearance of their yard to the standards of the neighborhood they live in. Unfortunately, those standards prefer a un-natural sheared geometric forms to a natural landscape. Improperly pruned plantings seems to be proof that you are maintaining your property. Most homeowners do not have the time or the desire to maintain there own homes, so they hire a “professional” landscaper. Unfortunately, most landscapers also do not have the time or desire to prune properly, they plant shrubs in the wrong places and so they bring out the electric hedge clippers to keep them in line. If God wanted plants to look like bowling balls, he would have put three holes in them. It is very difficult to find qualified pruners these days. It is a dying art. It takes time and a gentle touch. So, if you do not learn to prune your own plantings, try to find someone who is qualified, someone who calls themself a gardener. And be prepared to pay a more.
Proper pruning takes into account many different factors. Many plants can be pruned almost any time. Some plants, however, have certain seasons when it is best to prune. Hydrangeas, for example, flower on last years growth. They set there buds in late summer so if you prune after that or in the spring, you won’t get any flowers the next summer. A plant that is damaged or needs to be cut back for physical reasons can be pruned almost anytime without damaging it. If you want to know the correct times to prune, you can contact your local extension service. Online, the Virginia Cooperative Extension has a very good chart of various plantings and when to prune.