Winter pruning? Natural Pruning?
Now is the time everyone knows you are supposed to do all the heavy pruning. In fact it is the time to get your roses pruned back so they can start over, it's time to shape deciduous fruit trees and prune lots of other things. But, what I want to talk about is not what you should do now but what you should do all year long.
Our Garden maintenance business focuses on what we call natural pruning. As you drive around older neighborhoods what you see is primarily lots of plants chopped into balls, tear drop shapes, boxes and trapazoids. You see things that are or at least should be pruned back so you can use the walk or things pruned back so the lawn mower can get by.
This what is called box pruning. Many things that were chosen for texture, arching growth or interesting shape are all turned into much the same thing. While I have nothing against boxwood or privet hedge in the right spot, I do object to making everything in the backyard look like boxwood. How often have you gone into your yard or a friends yard and seen the fence line plantings all topped off at the fence height and pruned back to follow the mowing strip whether or not it is square or curved.
This is solvable by correct pruning and correct plant choice. The typical planting and maintenance basically turns the fence green ( or mixed colors) and moves it in about 3 or 4 ft . Is this what you want? If so I can't or don't need to help you. Over the next few weeks I will be posting pictures of what not to do and give you ideas about how to solve the proble.
A few years ago I was in the back yard of someone tht wanted more privacy from the side neighbor. He had Terxas Privet pruned to the top of the fence. All he needed to do was quit pruning.
If you look at interesting yards there are plants of differentg sizes, textures, and colors that are designed to stand out and create a design that lets your eye move through the yard.
Natural pruning is intended to let the natural shape and beauty of the plants in your garden stand out, let the design stand our and reduce the time you spend weekly in the garden. By pruning periodicaly during the year you can guide the plants and actualy spend less time.
How can you lose!
