Time for a haircut

I've been getting our trees trimmed each winter since our third year here, mostly to ensure that we don't alienate one or another neighbor by interfering with their harbor views, which I learned soon after moving in is a very big thing here.  This year the date slid a bit, another byproduct of last year's home remodel.  I just couldn't face squeezing that into the schedule during the holidays.  We finally got the deed done yesterday, although I scaled back the scope of the effort.  We had all six peppermint willows (Agonis flexuosa), all four strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina'), and the five cherry laurels (Prunus laurocerasus) that make up a hedge on our south side trimmed.  I skipped the Magnolia grandiflora that got scalped too close last year, the mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) that was literally cut in half last year, the ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana) that's already blooming, and all the citrus trees that are loaded with fruit.

Some cuts were more dramatic than others but the net effect is a sunnier garden, at least for a time.  In all cases, I've shown the before shot on the left and the after shot on the right.

A peppermint willow and a strawberry tree sit side by side on the northwest area of our property.  The strawberry trees (Arbutus) were all cut back hard to provide air circulation, which is necessary to prevent the leaves from developing soot.  I hated to lose all the flowers, though, and I suspect it's going to take some time before the hummingbirds forgive me.

I hadn't cut back the willow (Agonis) at the southeast end of the back garden in 2 years and the foliage was dense.  The thinning should provide more sun to the plants below.

I think it's been about 3 years since I had the Agonis next to the front driveway trimmed.  I usually trim the messy ornamental pear (Pyrus) next to it too but it was too late - the tree sprang into bloom this week.

The 2 willows planted along our west side were thinned but they still provide a nice curtain.  Another willow around the corner apparently got a light unplanned trim as well but I don't have a before shot of that one.

The strawberry trees in the back garden don't look all that different from this angle in their before and after shots

But this photo of the larger of the two from a different angle shows just how much it was thinned.  Arbutus fills in very quickly and will have a thick blanket of foliage again by this time next year.

This Arbutus on the southwest side of the garden is the most difficult to trim as it sits atop a moderate slope largely covered in succulents

The cherry laurel (Prunus) hedge was topped off  and stripped of its shaggy appearance.  I'm tempted to have it removed because the fruit produces seedlings all over the area.  In addition, mice have been carrying the fruit into my shade house and storing it there like a pantry.

Collateral damage to the surrounding areas was mostly avoided.  I asked the tree service to make a special effort to protect the succulents and bromeliads on the garden's northwest side.  Most of the damage I have is on the southwest side of the property on the slope below the large Arbutus; however, I didn't lose anything I consider precious.  Osteospermums were squashed but they'll probably recover once cut back.  Several clumps of Senecio vitialis were damaged but I'd been thinking about pulling it out anyway.  A lot of tall Aeonium blooms were inadvertently beheaded but I'll use this as an opportunity to thin out those plants.

After very warm temperatures last week, we turned cold again this week so I'm content to continue garden clean-up this week.  Mulching is on my to-do list too.  Hopefully, while I putter, our local garden centers to restock their shelves and I can get back to the fun stuff, replanting the areas of my garden I've targeted for this year.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party