Pruning and Shaping
Trees and Bushes Creatively
Many inexperienced gardeners are hesitant to prune or
clip back branches on the trees and bushes in their yards, because
they don't know it's quite easy to do, and they don't realize it's
very helpful for the grow and vitality of the plants.
Trimming and pruning has practical and safety purposes first of all.
If a tree branch is dead, you risk having it fall on your roof, a
car, or even a person. So trimming it off is the safest thing to do.
The same applies to bushes... if you have one with branches sneaking
into your rain spouts, the best option is to trim those before they
create damage that could lead to further problems.
Trimming and pruning will also allow you to shape your bushes and
trees nicely. Some people don't like a manicured, neatly
trimmed look however, and would rather keep everything as natural
looking as possible. Unfortunately if you don't trim and shape a
bush or tree in its younger years, it can have growth problems and
safety issues as it matures.
Trimming for shape and design can still look quite natural too, as
long as you purposely keep the natural shape and flow of the bush in
mind while you're trimming. You can also create unique and unusual
looks by trimming, and the results can sometimes be quite
surprising.
I have a couple of large bushes up against the front of my own
house, and they were quite overgrown and unruly when we first moved
in. They'd been neglected for so long in fact, that most of the
undersides of each bush was completely dead. Now I've never
confirmed exactly what type of bush these are, but they're a lot
like standard hedge bushes or boxwoods. In theory, they'd look quite
nice if they were cared for from the beginning.
Since mine needed such work though, I couldn't just shape them into
the standard square or rounded shape that most people do. I had to
cut a large portion of those branches away at the bottom, and I did
the majority of this gradually over a two year period. Once I had
most of the dead material cut away, I realized the trunks and
branches were quite interesting. They had strange gnarled shapes and
wonderful texture to them.
So I set about shaping one of the bushes in a way that would allow
the shape and texture of those branches to be much more noticeable. I
started trimming the green pine needle sections into small balls.
The first time I did this, it look like I had an overgrown Bonsai
tree in my yard and everyone expressed condolences to the bush. My
husband would even yell warnings to the bush every time I picked up
my clippers! The bush ended up flourishing just from my trimming
though, and it grew into the new shape wonderfully. I now have an
interesting, unique yard decoration in the form of a bush as a
result.
I liked it so much in fact, that I've started working on several
more bushes to get similar results. And I planted Morning Glory
vines around the base of the first bush, and these now climb all
over it which makes it even more striking, particularly when the
flowers bloom in the early mornings.
Now the downside of shaping a bush or tree in specific ways is that
you'll find yourself having to trim it regularly in order to keep
the appearance you want. My bushes are so much healthier now that I
find myself trimming for shape several times each year, and they
could stand to be done about once each month if I wanted to devote
that much attention to them.
So if you want to trim your bushes and trees in a certain way, then
look at magazines or pictures online to see what kinds of ideas
others have come up with. And drive around your neighborhood too, so
you can get an idea of what various shapes look like as the bushes
and trees "grow in to" their new shapes. Then start on your own,
doing a little bit at a time, and adjust as needed while you go. If
you start with a mature bush or tree then you'll need to take your
time with the shaping and pruning, but eventually you'll end up with
a beautiful new look that you just might love!
