Shovel-pruning!

17 years ago

Well, I am getting a little gutsy with my plants this year. I actually threw out a few plants. So far, I've trashed:

Raubritter - always eaten, never grew nice.

Buddleia - Sungold. Was nice in its original spot, but in its new spot, it got spider mites every year and so I couldn't move it or give it away. Grows next to the herbs so I couldn't spray either.

Reine de Violette got cut to the ground. If it grows back nicer, then it can stay but I have never been wowwed by this one even if it is thornless.

Threw out a big clump of iris that was overgrowing the other plants.

Dug up 4 seedlings of Rosa Rugosa Rubra. They are four or five years old. This year, I finally got two flowers. They shed in a day and had no scent. So they are gone. Probably would have bloomed in another yard but not sure.

Most of my hollyhocks have had a terrible time with rust and weevils this year. So just as they were ready to bloom, I wacked them to the ground. Those I will use mancozeb which was successful in the past and let them start again if they will.

Viburnum trilobum CompactumÂ got a severe haircut and looks terrible now. This plant decided not to stay compact. This year it just splayed open wide in the middle with a few straight up strong stems left up. Probably it was getting ready to round out but I wasn't willing to give it so much space. Additionally, it looks like it suckered a little so it lost its grace it had as a small plant. Hopefully it will grow back with some shape to it.

Other plants in danger:

Variegata de bolonga - Not in the best spot but still gets many blooms. The leaves start coming off almost immediately after bloom. Floppy plant but I may limit it to a couple of canes, wrap it on a pillar with a clematis.

Two female longstalk hollies. These plants just don't get dense for me and the growth habit of one differs from another. Not a good hedge plant so far. Should not have listened to Fairweather and pruned them harder. I'll keep the male and a female but either two will have to go or get moved. I think the shape of the plant is affected by where they take the cuttings on this one.

Constance Spry - She's healthy but I have to cut down on the roses and she doesn't thrill me for some reason.

Martine Guillot is on the danger list. I like it because it is a little later but what a sloppy habit and its thorny. Another one that I will try to find a spot to pillar it and grow only a few canes. The pictures of the blooms look great but again, not thrilled by them. Could be a heavy bloomer in another spot. One more chance for this one.

Lysamachia Firecracker - pretty in spring but really, an ajuga like Jungle Beauty or Caitlin's Giant would be more effective and doesn't get leggy and green.

Pee Wee Hydrangea paniculata (not the oakleaf)- Who named this Pee Wee? It is the biggest of the four I have of this type of Hydrangea. Pee Wee refers to the size of the flowers and leaves only. I pruned it into tree form this year, we will see. It has a good chance of staying but space is an issue and the leaves lack interest.

I ramble (as usual). So...did you shovel prune?

Comments (6)

njtea
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I pulled up many Campanula Cherry Bells 'cause they were taking over other plants. Also pulled out some Rudebeckias and purple coneflowers as they are becoming rampant.

I'm also pulling up volunteers of Impatiens capensis - there's a gazillion of the things. I love them, the hummers love them, but, please, not so many.

Fortunately, I never got around to digging up what I thought was a dead Calycanthus because it's started to regrow.
Loretta NJ Z6
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I also pulled out a few columbine.
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tracey_nj6
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I hate to throw healthy plants out, but enough is enough!

I removed 10 large 6 or 7 year old liriope. It was managable for the first 5 years, but then went crazy!

I just tossed about 6 Lobelia siphlicata. It was initially a volunteer a few years ago, but had gotten out of control.

Mexican Hats? OH MY GOD; they're EVERYWHERE.

Same with Coreopsis "Mahogeny Midget". I can't rip it out fast enough.

Oenothera biennis; I normally have this reseeder under control; it went nuts last year with the reseeding, and about 6 have been ripped out, and more to go!

Dianthus armeria; another volunteer a few years ago, and it's the reseeder from hell. Just when I think I've yanked them all, another batch pops up. I just want to rid my garden of it :(

I don't even remember what I've missed; there's been alot of removing this year. I think the Rudbeckia hirta's days are numbered.

I didn't bother to use the shovel, just pull and toss, fast, before I change my mind...
mprats
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Loretta, how long did you have Raubritter in your garden? I hear it takes it a long time to settle in. I have an own-root plant and it has stayed pretty small for three years. I have to support it or it flops all over the ground. The cut blooms look great in a small vase though.

I would recommend replacing Variegata di Bologna with Scentimental. It does great for me and the scent is citrusy and it is always in bloom.

My Reine des Violettes gets horrible blackspot after the main bloom, but I feel like the first blooms are amazing. It recovers in the fall though. I will try cutting it back as you did with yours, because it has grown too tall and spindly.

Constance Spry is a monster and a pain to tame, but I still like it for some reason, and so do the bees :)
--

I have to shovelprune echinacea seedlings that have started overcrowding the roses.
I am also thinking of getting rid of Ambridge Rose. It gets black spot and defoliation worse than any rose in my garden. Maybe I will grow it in a pot where I can keep it in a better aerated environment, its scent is my favorite.
birdgardner
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Cherry Bells is out for me too. Anemone September Charm is a big spreading thug - out. Horehound - ugly little plant. Looks like a weed. Calamintha - weedy. I think I will have it forever. Purple perilla likewise.

I have lamiastrum in a bed where nothing else will grow but it keeps trying to get out. Killing that one would take lots of Round-up.

Musk strawberry was thuggish in my shady bed and it didn't produce fruit - I ripped it all out except for a few I moved to the blueberry patch. It doesn't seem to like sun so for practical purposes it's been shoveled.
Loretta NJ Z6
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Echinacea is another one I have to weed. I let it go a lot because the goldfinch come every day to eat the seed and they are so cute. I don't get many hummingbirds but at least I have them.

I am glad I didn't get around to buying Cherry bells because I really like that one. And I've always been afraid to try lamiastrum.

Calamintha arrived on its own with a hot poker. It has stayed mostly still but it outgrows the hot poker and ruins it. It is on the list but mostly because I need the room.

Mprats, any rose I remove will not get replaced with another rose. Constance Spry is actually a very good plant with nice form and graceful stems. However, the stems flop during bloom and need support. Maybe I will fashion a sort of peony hoop for it and give it one more chance. But still, the bloom, though beautiful, doesn't show up to the others surrounding it.
I have had the Raubritter for about 5 years. It is (was)an ownroot. Granted it was very pot bound when I got it with an escaped root going deep into the ground. I gave it two different spots but it has never grown with any grace for me. I've seen great pictures of it though. If I were to ever buy another rose to replace it, I always wanted to try Mothersday.

I have Ambridge. Never was a healthy rose. Died back to near death it's first winter. But eventually it grew a couple of healthy canes.

I don't think I will have enough guts to get rid of VdB.