A Little Bit of Inspiration

So much of what keeps yard and garden enthusiasts going is the sense of a new beginning that always arrives with Spring, and for many of us the tell-tale signs are the same -- the emergence of daffodils, The Masters and its magnificent azaleas bordering each hole, and, of course, Easter with its symbolic lilies and general message of life and rebirth.  All of this has been in the back of my mind, but this year I got hit with a big dose of inspiration during a recent family vacation. 

Let me just preface this by saying that I am constantly looking for new ideas for flowerbed design and interesting ways to use new plants, because come on, it gets a bit boring year after year seeing the same old plants in the same old front entrances, right?  Well, I also appreciate floriculture more than the average person, I'd say, and sometimes I get excited when I see a huge flower bed that requires thousands of flowers -- most people don't realize the cost and labor involved in a project like this.  In fact, one of my favorite flower beds each season is at an office park right off of 400 on the way to Perimeter Mall.  Their flower beds are always packed with blooms, and the beds themselves go on and on -- I'm usually pretty impressed.

So, last week I travelled to Walt Disney World with my family.  It was our children's first visit, and my daughter actually turned 5 while we were there, so it was magical in all the right ways.  About mid-week we trouped off to Epcot, and they just happen to be hosting the Epcot International Flower and Garden Show right now.  I was floored by the detail, the amazing use of plant materials, and the sheer number of flowers in each and every centerpiece.  We're talking topiaries depicting the likeness of many of the best-loved Disney characters, a miniature village complete with a working train, fairy houses made out of found and natural objects, an outdoor kitchen in "Italy" complete with herbs for fresco cooking, and beautiful vegetable gardens.  One of the most amazing things that I noticed was that there were beds with a mixture of cooler season perennials and summer perennials, which is not something that you normally see mainly because of the cost of using a specimen that will not last the entire season.

I became inspired almost immediately to return home and put some of what I'd seen into play in my own yard and in the yards of Team Turf clients.  We certainly don't have to be on vacation to be surrounded by outdoor beauty, and our own properties are the most ideal place to make an investment of this sort.  And while I realize that the majority of folks probably aren't yearning for a Mickey Mouse topiary in their front yard, there are more options than you'd think for incorporating some of these showstopping ideas into residential landscapes.

So for the next several weeks I'll be sharing some of the ways that we can do just that.  From raised vegetable beds that blend into your landscape, to European inspired outdoor sitting areas, to tasteful topiaries, we'll look at different ways to incorporate a bit of your personality and lifestyle into your landscape -- just remember to keep your eyes open because you never know where you'll be when inspiration strikes!

To Prune or Not To Prune?

That seems to always be the question, and especially in this economy, you'll want to remember that cutting back shouldn't just apply to your monthly spending.  (Sorry, bad joke).

Proper pruning and cutting back of your perennials keeps them healthy, attractive, and allows them to grow stronger and last longer.  The trick?  Knowing what you're doing before you get out the pruners.

Let's have a look at some common sights around East Cobb -- the lovely Crape Myrtle in its various stages of life.

Here is Crape Myrtle that has been left to grow without any assistance:

This is an older, established tree that unfortunately is not able to be as beautiful as it could be because its pruning needs are being ignored.  This tree doesn't need to necessarily be pruned to keep it at a certain height, but selective pruning would give it a "cleaner" look.  It is true, though, that the fate of this tree is far more favorable than being pruned incorrectly, which results in extremely unsightly specimens that suffer from stunted growth and the inability to become a full-sized, healthy Crape Myrtle.

Take a look at what some folks refer to as "Crape Murder" --

Seriously?  I am amazed and appalled every time I see this, and believe me, I see it over and over again while I'm evaluating properties or simply driving through the areas where I work and live.  A tree should not look like it is in pain, but when I see pruning jobs that leave Crape Myrtles like the ones above, I am reminded of the gnarled, arthritic hands we've all seen in horror films -- not exactly what you should be shooting for when designing a warm, welcoming landscape.

When a Crape Myrtle is pruned back too far it has two effects -- it reduces the number of blooms that will be produced during summer, and the new branches will grow far too long and therefore not be able to support the weight of heavy blooms, especially when wet.

So what should you do if you've got Crape Myrtles?  The answer is very simple: the trees should be properly pruned annually to maintain proper height, and to give them a tidier appearance.  They should not be massacred.  They should not be attacked with a chainsaw.  They should be trimmed from the bottom up, carefully removing old growth that will allow for the newer growth that will arrive with the Spring.  When a Crape Myrtle is pruned properly it will produce twice the number of strong branches and therefore twice the number of blooms as it did during the previous year.

The time to cut back is now.  Whether it's Knock-Out Roses, Lenten Rose, or Crape Myrtles, doing so means more beauty to enjoy during the flowering season.  My only advice is this -- do it right, and keep in mind that not all "professionals" know the difference between pruning and "Crape Murder."