Winter gardening

Greetings from flatland Champaign, IL, USA, . . .

Last time i posted to the group, apparently, i upset a few of our members with my comments about nutrients vs. mineral ions.  Apologize i do.  Was not intending to offend.  Checked with my better half, and she said, yup, your message certainly could have been read as being critical.  SORRY, that was not my intent.  This message shouldn't offend any one reading this.

As an arborist, i try and be an artist.  We train our workers to consider good horticulture and arboriculture as being also good art.  Not being an artist, i am ignorant of many principles.  What i call "the line" of a branch is part of the art that we consider when pruning a plant.  If the plant is naturally verticle, then we try and go with that "flow" or "line".  If naturally horizontal, weeping, or lop-sided, then we try and accentuate that characteristic.

First, such branching is often more apparent in the Winter, with no leaves cluttering the view (or exfoliating or lenticled bark) of the plant.  Decide where you will be looking at the plant for most of the time; that is your primary view.  Start pruning from what would be "back" when standing at the primary view site.  Take your time, go slow, one or two branches (or branchlets) can make a BIG difference.

For those of us who enjoy snow on our gardens, trees combine with a sunny day to give us a double bonus that can be highlit by thoughtful pruning.  Shadow patterns on the snow, or a patio surface.  While trees have a natural and self-controlled amount of density, we can modify this without causing significant damage to the plant's health.  Thinning to "clean-up" the shadow patterns often is compatible with above "sculpture pruning.

One final comment regarding the "line" of a plant.  Could someone better trained, or more artistic comment on this.  Repetition in landscape design is good as a unifying and "calming" aspect, if not "overdone" to the point of monotony.  If 100% of the branches are the "same"; same direction, same density, same appearance, then the "line" of the plant may approach monotony.  One "oddball" branch that goes against the flow may be the "spark" that invigorates and enlivens the artistry of the plant.

Trees are like a piece of living sculpture, they develop over time.  Happy sculpting.  If you think you made a mistake, don't dispair.  Plants are kind to us pruners, they regrow.

Merry Christ-mass and stay Y2K warm.


Growing, in Christ,

Greg


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