not that I would ever do such a thing.
Oh yes I would!
Here it is. Ready?
Always, always be aware of what the full size of a plant will be before you stick it in the ground.
Case in point:
When we moved in 20 years ago our five acres consisted of the noxious weed knapweed. There was not one tree, bush, or blade of grass. Naturally, I was in a hurry to make it all pretty. First up was to plan the foundation plantings. I chose sea green juniper which is a pretty arching juniper - until it isn't.
 |
| Mine were about half this size at planting |
They looked pretty innocent peeking out of a one gallon pot, so in they went. I not only planted them in the front, I threw a few in behind the back deck and on the west side of the house because I wanted to keep in simple.
After about 8-10 years the nightmare started. The back ones were so huge you could't see the back yard anymore. I pruned, and pruned, and shaped, and pruned. And they got even bigger. So one day I grabbed my little hand saw and took the things down to the ground which was no easy task. I ended up bloody and bruised.
I still see many nurseries recommend them as foundation plantings. Unless you have hell's half acres to plant them - don't.
For the past several months I'd take my morning coffee out on the front deck and gaze at the massive junipers in front and plan my pruning. Two days ago I finally realized they had to go. I called my charming, speedy, and very cute tree guys and requested their services.
Today was the day.
Before: This is what I was facing even after some severe pruning last year. Ugly sight. What you can't see is the back where they were smashed into the house.
It also meant I couldn't access the upright junipers to prune, nor could I comfortably deal with the shrubs to the right of the path (yes - there really is a path there), so the bridal wreath, rosa rugosa, and barberry are also out of control.
See the little "puff balls" on the bottom? That's from cutting back too far - or not far enough.
After:
Buh bye...
Holy crapola! Will you look at the size of that space? It's screaming for a bird bath.
There's actually bark underneath all the juniper droppings but more bark will just be put on top. Thankfully we put landscape fabric under the whole area.
 |
| Green meatball bush overkill. Ewwww |
The replacements will be one Japanese Maple in the center between the window and the remaining upright juniper which will be pruned tomorrow. Joining the maple will be some hosta and probably a few pink syringa or boxwoods since they're easy to prune into a little ball. I've resisted "little green bush meat ball syndrome", but at this stage of my life a little green ball of a bush is just what I need.
In October we'll have a nice bonfire in the field outside our fence. Hot dogs, anyone?
 |
| It's deceiving, but that pile is about 5 feet high |
Eclipse Day is Tomorrow
If you're in the path of the eclipse please use proper eye protection. Some of the eclipse glasses sold on Amazon are possibly fake.
Here's How You Can Tell If You Accidentally Bought Fake Solar Eclipse Glasses
We're not in the path of totality, but about as close as you can get. It starts at about 9:13 am for us and I'm planning an eclipse breakfast on the deck. Eggs Benedict, hash browns, fresh tomatoes with basil from our garden, orange juice, and fresh plums from our garden.
Nap to follow?
Amazon Deals in Patio, Lawn, and Garden - now is a good time to start getting stuff for next year's garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment