Learn Do Thrive

Maintenance

Management of your garden includes weeding as well as controlling the excessive spread of desirable plants to keep your garden look as intended for many years to come.

Mulching with shredded stems of perennials cut back in spring is a good alternative to wood chip mulches and is preferred for flower beds. (See top right pictures.) The most sustainable method is to use plants to cover the ground, thus reducing, or eliminating the need for mulch.

Difference between pruning and shearing (above). Branches were pruned from the base of the Kerria on left. Boxwoods were sheared to keep their naturally dense habit and round shape. Light pruning of the variegated Euonymus created a more natural shape compared to the formal looking boxwoods.

Pruning removes individual branches to promote flowering and to maintain healthy frame.  Shearing, on the other hand, trims the tips of branches creating a dense shrub that can age faster. Shearing is only recommended for small-leaved species, like boxwoods, that are used for hedges or formal gardens. Most plants only need minimal pruning and no shearing at all.

Below: Kousa dogwood before and after corrective pruning.