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The Military Flat-Top: How To Prune Your Astilbe (Video Tutorial)
Feathery Astilbe plumes in spring are one of my favorite seasonal shows, and even though I’m a big proponent of year-round interest, I’ll forgive a species that goes dormant if it does so with either: A. Loads of fanfare and splashy color, or up-to-the-last-second blooms. B. Such profoundly fast dieback that one day you are…
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Tree-Shaped Shrubs; Pruning Princess Flower or Tibouchina (Video Tutorial)
As a Garden Coach, I’m often asked for “trees” that stay about 8-12’ tall. Most people don’t realize how few trees there are with that mature size – but there are many shrubs that can be pruned to have a tree-like form, with an open branching habit down below and a pretty multi-stemmed trunk. Tibouchina…
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I Love Alstroemeria! And: A Cool Trick For Pruning Them (Video Tutorial)
Florists love Alstroemeria for their gorgeous, long-lasting cut flowers, and I do too – the orange ‘Third Harmonic’ above, the traditional salmon-pink ‘Regina’ found in your florist’s shop, the always-lovely ‘Casa Blanca’ with its white flowers striped with pink and green – there are colors and tones to suit any garden.
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How to Prune Your Hardy Geranium or Cranesbill (Or: Ode to ‘Rozanne’) (Video Tutorial)
I am a huge fan of Geranium ‘Rozanne’. Here’s a plant that’s gotten tons of press in the last few years (tons of press for a plant at least!), winning all kinds of plant-y awards and generally being the plant world’s Paris Hilton. Except ‘Rozanne’? She actually deserves the attention. She blooms gorgeously from her…
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How to Prune Heath and Heather
Heathers are one of my favorite winter-interest plants. There are Ericas (Heaths) which bloom around November and December, Daboecia (Irish Heath) which bloom spring to late fall, and Callunas (Scotch Heather) which bloom in summer but often have vibrant winter foliage. They are very low-maintenance plants, but they do need pruning once a year after…