The practice of shaping trees and shrubs for their health and beauty has been around as long as there have been gardens. Unfortunately, so has the concept of whacking these woody plants down to balls, cubes and other unnatural shapes so the plants fit into too-small spaces. But why should a size 42-long shrub be forced into a 10-short space?
Thankfully this shrub was planted out in the open instead of under a window, where it would’ve been lopped into submission.
Photo Credit: Patricia Dunleavy/Pinebush Farm and Nurseries, Inc.
When these hollies were originally picked for this space, their “mature size” wasn’t considered.
Photo Credit: Mike Waller’s Lawn Service
This is a refreshing twist on bush butchering: The homeowner decided he wanted to see under the lush shrubbery, so he chopped off its pants.
Photo Credit: Tammy Clayton
This poor tree was whacked back so harshly it looks like a stalk of broccoli – which was more than it could bear. (It died.)
Photo Credit: Tammy Clayton
As a youngster, I had no reason to argue with my professional-landscaper father as to why people butcher shrubs. Back then, I assisted him in his whacking while learning to mimic his methods. (Yes, we were members of the “Whack-o-Matic Society.”) Years later, as I started designing plantings, I began to see plants for their own individual beauty. That’s when I began to question this barbaric hacking tradition. If shrubs were meant to be square or perfect orbs, then why didn’t God make them that way?! I came to understand that large shrubs do have a place in our landscapes. The trick is planting them where they can be gently shaped instead of beaten into submission twice a season.
This isn’t to say I’m against sheared hedges and evergreens. Geometry can be lovely in the landscape – in certain spots. In fact, pruning, thinning and shaping is a necessity for nice, full woody ornamentals. We just have to remember, “right plant, right place.” Planning your garden means planning for a plant’s adult size. If you want to install a shrub below your front picture window, don’t pick one that naturally grows tall enough to cover your view. And if your planting space measures 30 inches wide, then pick a plant that doesn’t grow wider than 36 inches.
I know it really isn’t easy to envision that tiny bush you bought in a container eventually growing 6 feet wide, but trust me – it won’t remain a size 2T forever! And yes, the plant may look a little lost 3 feet away from your wall when it’s only 12 inches wide, but you’ve got to remember that it’ll grow quite a bit in just a few years. (To make the planting space not look so empty for the time being, add some annual flowers or easily moved perennials to give the area a fuller look until your shrub or tree approaches its adult size.)
If you’re stuck trying to figure out how far you should site your trees or shrubs away from a wall or from each other, take the expected width of a plant and divide it by two. For example, if a plant is said to reach 5 feet wide at maturity, it should be planted 2½ feet from the wall or from another plant of the same kind. To be accurate, get out that tape measure and mark your digging spots – it’ll save you a big headache in the long run!
Another thing you can do to keep your garden looking its best is to resist impulse buys. That means always making sure a plant will work in your given space before you put it in your car and take it home with you. So before you and your wallet head to the garden center, get that tape measure and determine how high and wide the space is that you want to fill. Then you can figure out what kind of tree or shrub will work there. (If the plant tag doesn’t give an expected size, ask your garden center professional.)
Once you’ve got your woodies planted properly, resist the urge to lop them into submission. As a landscape contractor, I’m regularly called out to clients’ homes to evaluate their landscapes. I can’t tell you how many times I find the sad, stubby remains of shrubbery that’s resided along a walk or foundation for decades. After years of being harshly cut back, the plants seemingly give up on leafing out. (And why should they bother if their new growth is just chopped off year after year?)
When you do have to prune and shape your plants, use a light hand. Remember, timing is everything when working with plants. In fact, for most shrubs, summer shearing and shaping shouldn’t be done until new growth hardens off (matures). Cutting back some woodies too early can actually cause branches – or even the entire shrub – to die.
So if you’re thinking of installing some new woody plants in your garden this season, please take into account their natural shape, mature size, and the size of the space you want to plant them. Proper planning is one of the best tools for creating a low-maintenance yard – not to mention gives you more time to enjoy your garden! And besides, the ranks of the Whack-o-Matic Society could really stand a good thinning.
