As we move through the end of May it becomes imperative that any pruning (think shaping and also about next year’s flower production) of spring flowering shrubs, like Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Lilacs, and Forsythias, needs to be done NOW. The rule is simple: “Prune after bloom”…
Some Undeniable Signs That Spring Is In The Air
February Is "Prunuary"
There are lots of tasks we could dwell on for the month of February, including nipping weeds in the bud, planting early blooming perennials, controlling moss in the lawn, and general clean up of any left over debris from winter. But by far, the most important task of all is pruning. I do the vast majority of my pruning in the month of February, so let’s drill down to some specifics…
During the months of May and June one of the all-time favorite plants of local gardeners, the peony, is bursting into bloom. There are many excellent peonies available to utilize in our landscapes; including herbaceous cottage types in all sorts of colors (and varying fragrances) and larger growing tree peonies too. I would never scold anyone for growing either of these types (since I do as well), but I want to bring attention to another fabulous peony option… what is known as the intersectional or Itoh Peony.