By Neely Bower

Mar. 30, 2022: Harbinger's of spring - - warm weather, longer days, and the desire to be outside. It is time to go out to your garden and prune.

Invest in a good pair of pruners and loppers. I prefer the Felco brand. Make sure to keep these clean and sharp.

Use pruners for any branch size up to 1/2 of an inch and loppers up to an inch in diameter. Anything over an inch, use a small hand saw. We will save the chain saw for a future article because once you start using one of these, you will never put it down.

If you are just beginning your pruning career, I suggest a boxwood, Ilex/holly, or yew. These are evergreens and ready to be cleaned out and shaped now. Begin by removing diseased or dead wood. If you want the shrub smaller, remove by cutting further inside the plant, do not use hedge clippers, cut one branch at a time. Remember, do not prune any shrubs that will be blooming this spring, or you will cut off the blooms. A few of these are azaleas, rhododendron, quince, and forsythia. They can be pruned any time after blooming.

I am constantly asked about hydrangeas. Three varieties are common to Bronxville. Paniculatas, which have tall white/pink blooms that bloom on new wood, can be cut back severely in the early spring. Macrophylla, which have large pink or blue blooms that bloom on last year's growth, should be pruned in the fall. Quercifolia, or oak leaf hydrangea, which have large pointy white blooms, should also be pruned in the fall (note: these grow nicely in the shade). If you are not sure what you have, wait until it blooms, then check it out on the computer or get a good gardening book from the library.

Caution: pruning is addictive, don't be shy but be careful you can't put it back.