Sunshine on a cloudy day

When it is wet and gloomy outside, bring some of spring's sunshine indoors to enjoy.  I'm not much of a florist,  but I can't mess up with bright colors and a pretty vase.

Not quite off my soap box yet

The other day, as I was driving through my neighborhood, I noticed a landscape company working at a local pool.  In addition to chopping up the crape myrtles, they were using electric hedge trimmers to "shape" up the privacy hedge trying to grow around the perimeter of the property. 

This privacy hedge is made up of closely planted elaeagnus shrubs.  While elaeagnus would not be my shrub of choice it does grow quickly, is evergreen so it provides year round privacy, and grows thorn-like leaves which would greatly discourage anyone wishing to take a short cut onto the pool property. 

Before pruning at my house

When the landscape company had completed their project, the elaeagnus was reduced to a thicket of sticks with a few random leaves--not a pretty sight.  Because it was hard-pruned in this way, the shrubs are going to immediately start directing their energy into growing new branches.  This species will do it by growing four to six foot long whips in just a matter of a few weeks.

After pruning at my house

If the purpose of the landscape company was to create neatly shaped hedges, that orderly, sculptured look (although merely a twiggy thicket) will completely vanish.  If the purpose of the landscape company was to reduce the height/area of the hedge, this purpose will have also been defeated by the elaeagnus before the pool season even begins.   The pool owners will either have to put up with a wild hedge or bring the landscape company back to re-cut it.

Why do people wack their shrubbery with electric hedge trimmers???  There is absolutely no benefit to this method of pruning.   With the exception of boxwood (which we don't grow much

Before pruning at my house

around here) there are no shrubs that respond well to this kind of treatment.   Scalped shrubs are not attractive and the new growth rapidly distorts the "nice" shape.

After pruning at my house

I just pruned my shrubs this week.  Although I am not a professional, I am smart enough to learn how to do it correctly.   My front foundation plants are loropetalum.  They grow vigorously and I need to trim them once a year to keep them off my walls and below my windows.  This is an easy task.  I take a hand pruner and clip off the long branches that have grown too tall for my taste.  They should be clipped back to where they attach to the main shrub or back to a new branch that is growing in a "better" direction for my purposes.

This entire project took about 30 minutes (less time than the electric hedge trimmer), my shrubs still look lovely, and they will continue to do so all year.  Anyone can learn to prune a shrub.

If I don't get of my soap box soon, we will all be drowning in the suds.   

Hopping up on my soap box

Same variety--which one appeals to you?

Spring is generally a joyful time of year, filled with the sights, sounds, and fragrances of new beginnings.  There is one spring time activity that just irritates and frustrates me.  So, I'm hopping up onto my soap box to rant for a few minutes. 

Why, Why, WHY do people hard prune their crape myrtle trees and shrubs every spring???  Crape myrtles are one of the most beautiful of southern shrubs, or would be, if people would stop hard pruning them.  This shrub blooms all summer long, produces interesting seed pods for the fall, and has uniquely colored trunks that create lovely winter interest after the leaves have fallen. 

But all of this beauty is absolutely ruined by this strange landscaping practice of wacking off all the branches.  As I drive through the neighborhood I see what would be lovely trees and shrubs grossly misshaped with thick trunks, bizarre knobs, and no branches. 

When other trees are budding out, crape myrtles are forced to put their energy into growing all new branches.  These branches are thin and sucker-like, creating a weird snow-cone shape on top of misshapen trunks.    It is amazing to me that the crape myrtles even survive this abusive treatment.

There are a few lovely crape myrtles in my neighborhood that have escaped hard pruning.  These trees and shrubs are allowed to grow and bloom in their natural shape and provide graceful beauty all year long.

Sometimes a tree or shrub does need to be pruned.  I had to prune mine several years ago when we had new siding put onto our house.  I also have to do some pruning to keep suckers from obscuring the shape of the tree.  Pruning can be done without wholesale butchering.

Butchered shrub vs. properly pruned shub

Even these trees that have been butchered can be saved and regrown with their natural growth habit. 

Please stop the abuse of crape myrtles!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

There are those who are dedicated to keeping a golf-course like lawn and I would never criticize anyone who is willing to work hard to maintain a lawn that they love.  However, there is another perspective on the green spaces that we mow and this season of the year demonstrates it vividly.

These days, as we are all eagerly watching for the signs of spring, the well-kept lawns are brown and crunchy looking.  Those who are more relaxed in their lawn philosophy are enjoying the abundance of spring wild flowers that thrive in a lawn-like environment. 

This one is not my lawn.

One of my favorite spring wild flowers (but in my garden is recognized as an irritating weed) is henbit.  I love seeing the masses of green and purple spreading across my spring lawn.  They are much prettier to me than bland and crunchy dormant grass.

Spring is officially here

I don't care what the calendar says or the thermometer reads, when my little crocuses bloom, spring has arrived.

Every plant in my garden has a story and my purple crocuses are no exception.  After we had lived here for more than ten years, I was strolling across the yard and noticed some bright "grass" growing up through the dead turf in late February.  Upon closer examination I realized that these bright green blades could not possibly be grass.  I grabbed a trowel and popped up the sod to see what was growing underneath it.  There were three or four small bulbs attached to those blade-like leaves.  Not knowing what they were
, I planted them near my front steps.  Nothing bloomed that spring, but the following spring (when I had forgotten all about them) three dark purple crocus blossoms magically appeared next to the front steps.  They spread a little more each spring.

When the crocuses bloom, I know that winter will soon be over.  I don't think I have ever been as pleased to see them bloom as I have this year! 

Hints of spring

This winter has been cold and wet, one of the coldest on record for our area, and officially, it isn't over yet.

However, this week I've noticed hints that spring IS coming.  The goldfinches at my bird feeder are sporting some new, sunny yellow feathers.  There are daffodils bobbing their golden heads in some of my neighbors' gardens.   There are tender new shoots trying to push their way through the dense winter mulch in my native shade garden.  The buds are beginning to swell on the native azaleas.  I saw the first dandelion smiling at me out in the horse pasture and the spring weeds are bursting forth all over.

It may still be winter, but spring will be here soon!

Does anyone else have this one?

Not long ago, I was at school (I'm a substitute teacher) and noticed that the teacher had a plant I had never previously seen hanging in his window.  It looked like a bowl of fuzzy sticks spilling from the container.  I immediately knew that I was going to commit cutting theft.  Noticing that at the "joints" (nodes) of the stems, there were tiny rootlets, I used the scissor from
his desk and snipped a piece of his plant, wrapped it in a damp paper towel and slipped it into my tote bag.  Just so you know, when I saw Mr. Cole again, I confessed to my crime and he forgave me.

When I got home, I gently potted my little sticks and began the wait to see if it would actually root.  Much to my total delight, not only did this little twig root within days, it bloomed in less than a month! 

My little exotic bloomer is a Rhipsalis pilocarpa from Brazil.  According to the plant stake, it comes from Brazil; its water and light requirements are "low."  It looks look a type of succulent to me.

Does any one else have this plant?