Harbingers of Spring

After taking home some branches of a cherry tree that my neighbor and I pruned, the memory of a Winter semester in Stockholm came back to me.  Sweden has many inexplicable traditions that my friends there adhered faithfully, yet without awareness of the history, symbols or meaning behind them.  I seldom argued- how can you not participate in cinnamon roll day!?

One such tradition can be found at the corner flower markets around this time of year, where bundles of bare sticks have a colored feather tied onto the ends of each twig in monochromatic bunches.  All I could get out of my friends is that it had something to do with Easter. 

As a California girl lonely for the color green in her snowy environs, I kept my bundle long past the holiday and allowed them to leaf out.  It was as if a small tree had materialized in my little room- reassurance that Spring had arrived.

With that memory in my mind, I've waited patiently for the sticks to leaf and bloom in our dining room and they have not disappointed me.  While I don't have snow to contend with, it's always nice to bring the outside in when raindrops and chills keep me away from the garden.

Showing Off: Pruning Toyons

 

I can't tell you how satisfying it was to prune these Toyons!  It took the better part of the day, but I'm enjoying the graceful shape and the new-found openness from the street to the house.  It was quite dense before, with a ring of juniper bushes surrounding them.  I'd love to plant Pacific Coast Irises at their base for spring-time color- as long as the client and the local deer wouldn't mind! 

 

 

I don't have a "before" photo from the same angle, but you can see how dense and impenetrable it was.  Hopefully some of the interior branches will be able to sprout and fill in at the top now that they'll be enjoying the sunshine.  I love making plants happier! 

 

My method of pruning is a tidge free-form, but it begins with an assessment of the tree.  Are there dead branches?  Is the main structure of the tree straight or curving?  Like that old Sesame Street segment:  Which of these things is not like the others?  With something as full as the Toyons, I'll remove dead branches and twigs just to be able so see what I'm doing.  Otherwise, it can get overwhelming real fast.  Once the general form is apparent, I start pruning at the base and work my way up, making sure I visually follow where the branch goes before I remove it.  It might not look right at the trunk, but it could make a giant hole in the canopy, too.  If I can't decide whether or not to cut something off, I move on to something more obvious.  The decision will typically make itself clear when more material is removed.  It's also important to stop, step back and view the tree from all angles while working.  I get so focused on the details, I often forget about the big picture.  

 

Of course, this method is always prefaced with research about the particular plant- does it respond well to pruning?  Will it form buds at the base of the branches pruned?  When is the best time of year to do it?  How carried away can I get with my pruning saw?  

 

It takes a bit of planning, but pruning can be an addicting endeavor.  I love nothing more than ignoring the fact that I'm a petite little lady and hefting a newly sawn branch over my shoulder.  My advice for this lovely Sunday afternoon- embrace you inner lumberjack, sharpen those Felcos, and get out there!