The #1 question I’m asked about a topiary – “Is it hard to maintain
them?” The answer is not at all IF
you don’t let it grow too much before giving it a trim.
Let’s talk Juniper topiaries – spirals, pom-poms, poodles
and patio trees. Since junipers grow so
slowly they are perfect for topiary designs.
Under normal conditions 2 trimmings per year will keep a juniper topiary
Examine your topiary.
Look for the original shape of the topiary and decide how
much of the new growth needs to be cut off.
Do you want to trim the plant back to its original size and remove all
new growth? Would you like to increase
the plants size? If so, you will cut off
less of the new growth but follow the pattern of the original shape.
Get to trimming
Start trimming your Juniper topiary from the top down. Until you become comfortable with your
cutting ability start with a light trim in a small section. “More is not better“ when learning to
trim. It’s better to trim less and cut a
second time to attain the look you envision rather than to cut too much off.
Once you’re satisfied then trim the same amount off the rest of the plant.
If you accidentally cut too much, don’t worry. Trimming a plant causes new growth to occur
so it will fill in quickly. Just like a
not so good haircut – it grows out and you fix it.
What to trim with
I prefer using a bypass hand pruner or handheld clipping
shears – with sharp blades. Hedge trimmers
or hedge shears are difficult to maneuver and make it difficult to cut properly
from all angles.
Other topiary plants (except pines)
The same techniques will work on other species of plants
used as topiaries. Boxwood, Ligustrum,
Fig Ivy, Rosemary, Holly, etc. Keep your
trimmers sharp, follow the lines of the original topiary shape, start at the
top and work your way down and you can successfully trim any topiary.
Pansies don’t do well
in soil that stays wet – in fact they like it on the dry side. So, here’s
6 tips on how to prevent this problem so you can enjoy beautiful blooming
pansies throughout the winter months ahead.
1. Don’t over water
Sounds simple, but we all have a tendency to just water without checking. Check your pots prior to watering to make sure they are dry and need watering. If your pansies are planted in the ground, make sure they need watering. Plants in the ground and in containers don’t require frequent watering in the fall and winter like they do during the summer.
2. Reset your sprinkler System
If you haven’t reset your sprinkler system from the summer setting, now is the time to do so. As the weather cools off lawn and flower beds don’t require as much water as they do in the hotter summer months. Set your sprinklers to water less frequently during the fall and winter.
3. Get your hands dirty or use a moisture meter
We can look at the surface of a pot and tell if it looks dry, but how much moisture is down at the root zone. The only way to tell is to either stick your finger in the dirt and see how wet it is or use a moisture meter that will instantly tell you if it is wet or dry. Use one of these methods to determine if your pansies are in need of water.
4. Planting in poor draining areas
If the area does not drain well you can create a raised bed in which to plant, thus ensuring the plants are planted above the wet area. This can be achieved very easily by creating a mound or longer berm out of garden soil (not potting soil) and plant into this raised area. Cover with mulch to match the rest of your bed and your poor draining area is solved.
5. Install drainage solutions into your landscape
You may have a drainage problem that needs a drainage solution such as a French drain or piping downspouts out of your flower beds. Feel free to call our store with photos so we can try and give you the best method to resolve drainage issues.
6. Make sure your pots and planters drain well
Planting pansies in pots and planters around your home gives you winter color in a variety of areas. Make sure that they have adequate drain holes in the bottom so excess water can drain out of the pot. If the pot is sitting on a solid surface the drain holes may not be able to drain. Place the pot on pot toes or small blocks of wood that enables the pot to be slightly raised from the surface it is sitting on so water is able to escape out the drain holes. Also, use the finger test or moisture meter to test if the pot needs watering.
These are just a few
of the ways you can turn a wet, poor draining situation into one that is dry
enough for pansies and other plants to bloom beautifully.
If you have questions
about how to solve a specific problem please give us a call at (903)
753-2223. You can text a pic to (903)-339-0922 and we can help determine
a solution to a problem or answer your questions.
NOW is the best time to plant
trees, shrubs and vines. Winter is the
second best – so get to digging!
Summer’s heat is over, the
soil is still warm – actually warmer than in the spring – and the
soaking rains of winter will soon arrive. This means deep root
growth will occur quickly on shrubs and trees planted in the cooler months of
Why is deep root growth important?
Roots gather nutrients and water for plants and trees, so the better the root system the more nutrients and water the plant receives – thus appearing lusher and healthier. Plants planted now get a head start since they are able to concentrate their energy mostly on root growth during the cooler months.
Healthier plants are the result of planting in the fall.
The same plant planted in spring gets a slower start due to spending energy on both root growth, foliage and flower growth. Also, the cool weather planted plants are better established when summer arrives and can better deal with the heat, largely due to the well-established root system.
With winter coming up quickly, most succulents will need
some sort of protection against the chilly air, or just brought inside where
temperatures aren’t so low. However, these 5 succulents are ‘cool’ with the
cool air and will be just fine when Jack Frost pays East Texas a visit!
With colorful pink, green, or white modified leaves (that
look like flowers!) and its blue-green foliage, this low-maintenance perennial
is perfect for your beds, borders, or containers. Euphorbia is tough and offers
outstanding heat and drought resistance. Instead of showy flower petals,
euphorbia has modified leaves, called bracts. This plant is a vigorous grower,
reaching 1-3 feet in height and 2 feet in width at maturity, so it can quickly
fill a garden space.
Hens & Chicks
Sempervivum are succulent, rosette forming plants belonging
to the Crassulaceae family. They are commonly known as Hens & Chicks, and
are called this because of the high number of offspring they produce — thus, a
Hen and all her Chicks! The main attraction of these plants is their colorful
rosettes of leaves. The rosettes are most striking in the spring and summer but
even in the winter when growth stops, many varieties remain attractively
‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum
Sedums have become one of the most popular hardy plants in
our area. What’s not to like? They are easy to grow; their thick, succulent
leaves make them drought tolerant and they grow in full sun to light shade.
Tall, upright sedums form clumps of foliage with massive flower heads which
develop in summer and bloom in the fall and then provide food for the birds
during the winter.
Delosperma (Also known as Ice Plant)
Best grown in FULL SUN, Delosperma is an easy-to-grow
herbaceous perennial. It can tolerate dry soil, shallow-rocky soil, and even
full-on droughts. Glossy red-purple flowers bloom continuously from early
summer until fall, and stand out against its fleshy, emerald-green leaves. The
bright flower color paired with the long-blooming season and evergreen foliage
makes ‘Ice Plant’ an easy choice as a groundcover or for a rock garden. A
vigorous grower, Delosperma can reach 3-6 inches in height and a spread of 24
inches (or more!) at maturity.
‘Ogon’ Stonecrop Sedum
A small mass of brilliant, evergreen, solid yellow-gold, succulent foliage flushed with pink provides a bold color accent in rock gardens, along rock walls, or in mixed succulent containers. Makes an excellent pathway filler or ground cover. Does BEST in partial sun, reaching a spread of 8-12 inches at maturity.