Rethinking a Mature Garden: Tour with Laura Trowbridge

‘ Degroot ’s Spire ’ arborvitae ( Thujaoccidentalis‘Degroot ’s Spire ’ , Zones 3–8 ) , a tall , dramatic evergreen , had provided winter social structure and textural direct contrast for Laura ’s exuberant , tropic - inspired plant palette for twelvemonth . But as it grew taller , it started to block views and made the garden feel hem in . Laura decided to remove it entirely and replete the quad with Sunday - have it off annual .

Another showy tree diagram that Laura decided to cut back was Sunburst ® honeylocust ( Gleditsiatriacanthos‘Suncole ’ , Zones 4–9 ) . It had wait good when it was young but was growing highly quickly and starting to shade out other plants . It was skip down , but the stump was left a few understructure magniloquent to encourage fresh outgrowth to emerge . By previous summer a flush of shiny unexampled foliation had emerge , and Laura is plan to exert this honeylocust as a curve - back shrub .

Tiger Eyes ® shumac ( Rhustyphina‘Bailtiger ’ , Zones 3–8 ) is a gnome staghorn sumac cultivar that typically does n’t get more than 6 foundation magniloquent and broad . Laura ’s specimen was growing out over the edge of the border . A wide-eyed cutback encourage tonic , good new growth without the sprawl .

curve down an established ‘ Yellow Lantern ’ magnolia ( Magnolia‘Yellow Lantern ’ , geographical zone 4–8 ) was a last - minute decision made just before a late - summer wedding that Laura and her hubby hosted in the garden . As was the case with the Sunburst ® honeylocust , the soapbox was leave behind tall with the hope that the tree will push newfangled growth from the base .

In her clause , Laura summed up her thoughts about editing a garden designing over clip : “ Frankly , I like produce changes and have found through experience that plants will rebound more quickly after a big change than you might envisage . render not to get too attached to any particular plant or idea . At the end of each year , ask yourself if any of the basic building blocks of your garden could be changed . Would anything benefit from being cut back ? Would it excite you to have a impudent start in one orbit of the garden ? ”

To learn more about pruning , check out ourPruning Project Guide here .

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