I know it doesn't feel like it but Spring is here. The first round of designs this season has gone well and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.
I was finally able to take in Canada Blooms on the very last day and I have to say it was the best show I had seen in years. A lot of nice display gardens and the hardscaping booths were all creatively done as well.
Here are a few pictures if you missed it:
Like I talked about last month, vertical gardens were everywhere..
Check out the veggies and herbs in this raised bed..
Interesting rocks....
I have heard from many of you that pruning, specifically pruning hydrangeas, are on your mind so I hope you like this month's article on how to prune these great shrubs.
It is still a little wet to divide the perennial grasses. As soon as the soil dries up a bit, it will be a good time to divide your clump(s) if you feel they are getting too large.
Here's a step by step guide:
Select grass to transplant
Use spade to loosen soil around the entire root ball
Pop entire root ball out and place on level ground surface
With a sharp shovel or axe slice down through root ball (one plant can yield several new starts)
Dig a hole, cover transplant up to the top of root ball, water and you're done!
The trick with pruning Hydrangeas is that pruning varies depending on the type of Hydrangea.
Let's first talk about Endless Summer Hydrangeas:
Endless Summer Hydrangea
New growth in early spring.
They are in a class called Hydrangea macrophyllas. They are unique in that they bloom on new AND old wood, this allows for a longer bloom period. Because of this feature it is very important to not cut these plants all the way back. Even though they might look a little weird with some "dead" branches sticking up, as the season warms up you will see the new buds appear on the branches in early spring. This is where the first seasons' blooms will come from. The new growth that is coming from the base of the plant will add additional flowers later in the season.
Now for Limelight Hydrangeas:
Limelight Hydrangea
They are in the Paniculatas family and bloom on new wood. They are forgiving in that you can prune them fall, winter or spring. They provide great winter interest so pruning in fall or winter is quite a shame in my opinion. They do not need to be pruned every year, only light deadheading. I also suggest trimming cross branches and/or branches on the inner part of the shrub after 3 years or so to encourage growth inside the shrub. Cutting these Hydrangeas back hard (to 4-6 inches) is not recommended as the new growth will be vigorous but then branches will be unable to support the large blooms resulting in a "floppier" shrub.
Lastly is the shade tolerant Annabelle Hydrangea:
Annabelle Hydrangea (floppy)
Annabelle Hydrangea (supported)
It also blooms on new wood but is famous for being very floppy and not supporting itself (as seen above left).
I have found that trimming a maximum of one 3rd of the shrub leaves the older, thicker branches to support the other branches (as seen above right).
I hope this helps. Please contact me if you have any other questions.
A look through the garden gate...
M o r e f r o m C a n a d a B l o o m s !
Living Fence
Interesting Fire Pit
Combination Of Fire And Water!
One Of My Favorite 'Evergreens'
Golden Thread Leaf Cypress
Joanne Shaw is the owner and operator of Down2Earth Landscape Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has 15 years experience in designing gardens and a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries.
