Posted by: Lucinda Greene, Arapahoe County Extension
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| Red Twig Dogwood |
I cleaned out my clothes closet over the weekend. The articles destined for the clothing
recycle non-profit fit easily into a few categories. Some were too big (Yay!) and some were too
small. Some needed only a button sewn on
or a hem mended to add them to my wardrobe. Others had outlived their usefulness with
frayed collars, or torn cuffs. And some,
well, honestly…..what was I thinking?
Just like the careful attention to be paid when cleaning out
closets, mid-winter in Colorado is a great time for homeowners to take stock of their
landscape to assess their plants and determine what’s not working. We have many warm days that can include an
hour's time to critically assess the landscape, evaluate options,
and make a plan for the upcoming garden season. What plants in your landscape are too big? Have they outgrown their space and need
pruning attention? Large landscape
shrubs like Viburnum or Red Twig Dogwood can benefit from renewal pruning in early spring. Removing dead or old stems from the center can help improve both the
appearance and the health of the shrub. Spring blooming shrubs like Lilac and Forsythia should be pruned just after bloom. Privets, Potentilla and other
shrubs can benefit from a rejuvenation pruning every few years. For more information on pruning, click here.
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| Russian Sage |
What plants aren’t performing in their space? For example, some cultivars of Russian Sage take
over bed spaces with rhizomatous growth.
Do other plants look a little unkempt or have they exceeded their
bounds? Digging up these shrubs and
doing a good root pruning, or dividing these shrubs in spring can help keep them in
check. Have some shrubs outlived their
usefulness, or become too woody? Repeated
shearing of shrubs can create unhealthy plants.
Have other shrubs become unattractive due to winter feeding by
wildlife? Many ground cover junipers
suffer from vole damage in Colorado. Carefully pruning
out the dead limbs can improve the overall appearance of these foundation
shrubs.
And, honestly, are there some plants in your landscape that
you have struggled with ever since they have been planted? Do you battle with these plants regularly? Perhaps you fell in love
with the blooming azalea that was calling to you at the nursery a few years
ago, but you can’t get the same glory in your landscape due to our alkaline soils? Do you have sun-loving
plants that no longer bloom because they have become overshadowed by the growth
of shade trees? Or perhaps you have
broadleaf evergreens like Boxwood or Euonymus that suffer significant winter desiccation every
year, or are not performing because they are sited on a southern or southwestern exposure?
As you do this evaluation, take a good hard look at what is
pleasing to you in your landscape, and develop a plan to tackle some of the
maintenance issues, (those hems and buttons) and perhaps consider dividing and transplanting
plants (recycling) or removing some plants altogether to make way for new appropriate species (shopping is always fun). Perhaps a friend or neighbor would appreciate your plant recycling efforts.
A number of native plants and cultivars of native
plants are making their way into retail nurseries.
These plants are ideally suited for the high, dry Colorado climate and
our alkaline soils. When sited correctly, they help reduce water use and
landscape maintenance. (Good-looking plants, and I don't have to work hard? Sign me up!) Look for shrubs that survive in alkaline soils,
have light requirements suited to the proposed space, and are suitable for your
zone. Ninebark, Apache Plume, and Snowberry are good examples of native shrubs that add beauty to the landscape. If you would like to learn more about Native shrubs please click here.
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