DRIPPING GARDENS WITH BLOOM: OF CUTTING BACK PERENNIALS AND CRAPE MURDER
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In the Babble's 8 Favorite Things in Dripping Springs in 2008 we included Bloom, the colorful and charming nursery, owned by Elizabeth McIntosh and her landscaper husband, located on the grounds of Rolling in Thyme & Dough. Thanks to Bloom, our own gardens did indeed do so, and now Elizabeth has graciously agreed to share her gardening thoughts with us. This Thursday begins what we hope will be an ongoing series of gardening tips relevant to Dripping Springs gardens (but no pressure, Elizabeth!). |
By Elizabeth McIntosh
A question on the minds of many gardeners during winter is often, “When do I cut back my perennials?” Well, for those of you who have waited patiently, get out your shears. Your time is now. Most perennials and grasses that are going to freeze back have done so, and can now safely be trimmed. Trimming too early can stimulate growth causing the plants to flush out, making them more susceptible to hard freezes.
Check first (by scratching a branch with your fingernail) to see if the stem is green or brown and brittle. Then remove all dead growth, and trim the rest to the desired height. Even if a plant is totally dormant, I like to leave a little “stump” to remind myself that something is planted there. It is a good time to cut your salvia greggii down to about a foot or so. This will result in a nice lush plant rather than the leggy, woody plant salvia can become without a little maintenance. Plants like lantana and turk’s cap should be cut back to within a few inches of the ground. Shear most grasses down to six inches or so, and use your (gloved) hand to pull out some of the dead. Mexican feather grass is the exception; it gets trimmed in the summer after blooming, if at all.
And last, but not least, please stop the crape murder! Leave your crape myrtles be. Contrary to popular belief, lopping off the tops does not result in more blooms. Rather, doing so promotes weak growth, subjects the tree to infection, and irreparably harms the overall shape of an otherwise majestic tree. If you must prune something, go find a cedar tree.
Check back next week for more tips. In the meantime, keep throwing in a rain dance or two when you’re out there trimming!
Elizabeth McIntosh is the owner of Bloom, a locally owned nursery in the heart of Dripping Springs on the grounds of Rolling in Thyme & Dough. Elizabeth and her husband John of MC² Landscaping have been plant enthusiasts since they met shoveling compost in 1996.
Posted by DSBabble.com at Thursday, January 29, 2009 10:00 AM 
Categories: crape myrtle, dripping springs, crape murder, hill country gardens, bloom
Categories: crape myrtle, dripping springs, crape murder, hill country gardens, bloom
Elizabeth, thank you so much! What a wealth of information. Now,I just have to get out there and do it.
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