The Imperfect Gardener

by Adina Sara

Several years back, after my puppy mangled several perennials but they still managed to grow back in abundance, I wrote an article about pruning that basically said if my puppy can do it, so can you. While there is some truth to the fact that pruning is a very forgiving act, it is not a bad idea to approach each plant individually, with a sense of respect and clear intention. One cut does not fit all.

Just about everything needs to be pruned this time of year trees, shrubs, woody perennials, what's left of last year's bulbs. Pruning is one of the few garden tasks that accomplishes two important things at once. First and most obvious, it removes last year's dead growth. Removal of dead wood allows light and air to feed the plant and minimizes the chances for disease to enter.

Pruning is also an opportunity to create the plant anew give it shape and direction so that it grows into the kind of plant you want.

Spend a few minutes looking at your plant before you pick up the pruners. Is it top heavy? Are the branches heavy on one side and sparse on another? Which way is it leaning? Which way do you want it to lean? Are you trying to raise a tree or a low-spreading bush? Within the natural limits of each plant's height and girth potential, most plants can be nudged to sprawl or spike, depending on the cut.

Camellias are too often pruned to look like miniature poodles. By cutting alternative branches and leaving space to expose the trunk, Camellias can just as easily grow open and free so the gorgeous flowers can show themselves. I trained one of my lemon verbena to be a tree by cutting away the lower side branches and leaving two center stalks. I gently twisted those stalks around each other, and, over time, they have grown into something that resembles dancer's legs, capped by a thick head of fragrant leaves. I did not prune the other verbena but left it to grow on its own, scraggly and wild. Because the leaves are low, they fill the entire space with the exquisite perfume of sweet lemon drops. It is up to you do you want to smell the flowers, do you want the limbs to bend and bow, or do you want a thick trunk with flowers high above the line of sight?

Pruning is intuitive. Pruning is quiet. Before you snap the pruners, think about where the sun hits and when. Notice what is growing nearby do you want it shaded or obliterated? Think about the birds that might want to pop in and out for a snack or a gentle hiding place. If the plant bears fruit, prune so you will be able to reach it. If the plant offers shade, prune so you can sit beside it. Listen to the plant. Don't be in a hurry.

Garden Resources

Recently, members of the Metro Garden Club offered plants for the taking H. macrophylla shrubs (hydrangea), Viburnum tinus (4' to 8' tall shrub with white flowers in the spring), and Phormium (New Zealand flax), to name a few. My flower bed is bursting with hollyhock seedlings that I got from a Metro Garden Club member last spring.

But you get a lot more than plants when you join the Metro Garden Club. Here are just a few great scoops Metro neighbors shared:

There's a great tool library in Temescal, where you can borrow all kinds of tools at no cost (www.oaklandlibrary.org/Branches/temtll.htm).

Looking for a privacy screen (and wished you lived in Tahiti)? Plant Bambusa oldhamii Oldham's bamboo, a.k.a. giant timber bamboo.

Thinking of planting acacia? Don't.

Not sure if a plant is invasive? Check out www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/invasives.html or www.sdcounty.ca.gov/dplu/docs/UndesirablePlants.pdf.

And last but not least, there's still time to sign up for the Master Composter Program, a certificated, extensive compost course, beginning February 7. Participants receive training in the art and science of basic and worm composting, soil health, and Bay Friendly gardening techniques. Contact 444-SOIL or www.BayFriendly.org, and look for Master Composter Training in the "What's New" section.

If you want to become part of the Metro gardening community, e-mail metrogardenclub.com, and ask to be added to the growing list of enthusiastic gardening neighbors.