A brisk, sunny day in Vestavia, Alabama

A very nice couple and long time clients of mine allowed me to plant some of my favorite plants for them a few years back. Today, I stopped by to do some pruning and thought I'd take some pictures of a few of the plants that were looking especially nice.


When it comes to pruning, I try to make my cuts in such a way as to promote the health and looks of the plant. I'm a big believer in hand pruning (with my trusty Felco pruners) as opposed to using shears, electric or otherwise, because you have so much more flexibility. If you are trying to get a natural looking pruning job when pruning Hydrangeas, for instance, shears are just not going to get the desired effect. Even with hollies such as these Needlepoint hollies in the picturee above, using hand pruners allows you to make cuts deeper inside the plant while still maintaining a manicured look, if that is the desired result as it was with these. And as always, I do my best to prune in such a way as to have plants such as these stay bushy all the way to the ground. This is what you want when pruning plants along your foundation or fence. Much of the same principles go for the pruning I did on the Green Robusta junipers, as well, except fot the exception of making deep cuts. With almost all conifers, such as cypresses, cedars, and junipers, you've got to be careful not to prune into wood that is too thick. They just don't respond well to heavy pruning.

OK, enough on pruning! Here are a few plants at this Vestavia home that I thought you might enjoy seeing:

Green lace-leaf Japanese maple. I planted this plant about 5 years ago. As I remember, it was a two gallon plant and was probably no more than 2' tall by 2' wide when I planted it. It is slow growing, but has managed to grow nearly 4' tall by 6' wide. Red varieties of Japanese maples get all the love at the local nurseries, but the green fellas have a lot to offer, as well, including outstanding fall color and a nice contrast to other plants such as these Parson junipers that are planted around it.


Lady Banks rose is a thorn less rose that is well suited for trellises and training on walls. The garage door was such a big part of the front of this home that we felt something growing up and over it would help provide a soft effect. Lady Banks rose only blooms once a year, in the spring, but the flower show lasts for a good three or four weeks and the plant is evergreen. Another good reason to consider it. The homeowner has done a very good job of keeping it growing over the garage doors (in this case, with masonry nails and ties) and it requires some pruning of limbs when they hang too low. Lady Banks rose is available in yellow and white blooming forms.



And finally, the ol' standby for what to use as a small tree in a small yard has to be Bloodgood Japanese maple. When I planted this tree five years ago, it was probably about four or five feet tall with limited branching. One key to the success of any tree planted in a turf situation is to create a mulch ring or mulched natural area around the tree which eliminates mower or weed trimmer damage. As far as pruning goes, I occasionally remove lower branches so mowing isn't a hassle and to allow light to the grass below. There are lots and lots of worthy upright red Japanese maple varieties to chose from and Bloodgood is certainly the grand daddy of them all and continues to be a great choice for the landscape.