Pruning. It's not for idiots.

Pruning is a complicated subject. People have differing ideas on it. There are tons of different plants that do not follow the general rules. It's very easy to do it wrong. You have to know your plant. It also helps if you know a little bit of botany.  Anyway, I'm going to attempt to give you some basics on trees.

1. Trees don't heal, they seal. When you cut a branch off a tree, it does not heal itself. There will always be a "wound". The tree will do it's best to seal the wound, but it can't seal if the pruning is done wrong. A tree that has an open wound will be prey for pests, more vulnerable to weather, and can have structural weakness. Structural weakness is a big deal if you have a large tree next to your house in a wind storm. Trees with pests can be unsightly, annoying, and of course, die. Dead trees are sad.

2. Pruning for the purpose of shaping a tree, should be done slowly. Meaning, not all at once, and maybe even spanning across several seasons. If you want a specific shape for a tree, you also need to be consistent. If you can help it, don't let branches get really big before you prune them. Take care of an issue while the branch is small. The bigger the branch, the bigger the wound. Plus your tree will look weird for a while if half of it is suddenly missing. In my opinion, the best pruners, don't leave a large mark. A tree should look healthier with pruning, not butchered. Doing it at the right time, in the right way, your tree won't even notice, nor will your neighbors. As a general rule, do not prune more than 1/3 of a tree at a time.

3. Pruning away too much of a tree, wreaks havoc. We have all seen trees that have most every branch cut off, until there is basically just a trunk left. A trunk covered in wounds (Umbrella catalpas are the only tree, in my area ((that I'm aware of)), for which that is prudent).  A mature tree, that is suddenly stripped of all it's branches will not be able to sustain it's root system for long. It will try. It will try so hard that you will see tons of tiny little shoots springing up all around the cut in an effort to gain more access to photosynthesis. These little shoots, if left to grow will overwhelm the integrity of the branch. It will not be structurally balanced. All those little shoots will be coming up from the same angle, same spot, and compete with each other for space. That area will become a dangerous weak spot. Not to mention, the tree now looks hideous. Now if you have done this and are panicking, don't lose hope. With carefully timed pruning, and precisely the right cuts, there is a good chance you can save your tree. And with time, it might even get it's looks back. Just get someone who knows their stuff, to help.

4. The right cut in the right place is essential. For the tree to seal the wound it has to have it's collar intact. The collar is sometimes very visible, like a swelling at the trunk. Sometimes it's not, and you will need to make an educated decision. At this point, I think some pictures are necessary to explain better.


The collar is what will eventually seal off the wound. No collar, no seal. Bad. If you cannot see the collar, here is a picture with some math.




You'll want to make sure you fully understand this concept before you make a cut. It might take some practice. Err on the side of not cutting off enough. You can always add another cut, but you cannot put it back if you take off too much. If you took wood shop, you probably know this.

5. There is more to pruning than what I've shown here. These are just the basics of tree pruning.  It's also important to know which branch to cut off, what buds are, predicting new growth, when to prune, pruning for fruit, and lots more. But this seems like a decent start and my kids want dinner, so I'm out. I hope this helps.

So you want to hire a landscape designer

Spring is coming and it's about to get busy up in here. In the spring, people's minds turn to their yards. They remember all the things they weren't happy with last year, and they wonder what to do about it. If you are one of these people and you are ready to give your yard an overhaul, or a fresh new look, or some added amenities, you may need the services of a landscape designer.  But most people don't know what to expect from a landscape designer, so here is a bit of info.

All landscape designers do things differently. Landscape design is an art form and you won't get the same design twice. Each designer sees things in their own way and they all have different experience levels. Some designers are great at plant knowledge, some are great at creative solutions, some do their designs by computer, and some by hand. Some specialize in certain styles, and some are up on the latest trends. But what matters most in choosing a designer is that you feel they not only understand your vision for your yard, but can enhance it in ways you never would have thought of yourself.

So, if you are wondering if I am the right designer for you, let me tell you a little about how I do things.

First, I will meet with you, in your yard. If you have a spouse with an opinion on the yard, you may want them to attend the meeting as well. There is a bit of mind reading involved in landscape design, and sometimes hearing from both you and your spouse/other can give me a more informed idea of what you truly want. Sometimes not, though. I have seen some pretty good fights as well. Use your discretion, 'cause if objects start getting thrown around, I'm out of there (yes, it's happened).

If you're not sure if you want a design, I also do consults. This is where we walk through the yard together and I try to come up with some ideas on how you can treat problem areas in your yard, or give you plant suggestions, or whatever. I might draw out a couple little sketches for you, but if you need more than that, then a full design is probably in order.

So we meet and we walk through the yard, and we share and connect, and you decide to move forward with a design. At this point I will need a map of your property and a partial payment. Some people have blue prints from their home builder, others find some graph paper and a measuring tool and map it out themselves. I will do the measuring if you like, but I have an extra charge for that. Most people are happy to do it themselves. So this map will need to include the property lines, where your house and any existing hardscape sit in the yard, and any trees, etc that you want to keep in the design. Most important is getting the perimeter of your house and how it lines up with the property as close as possible (round to the 1/2 foot).

When I have the plot map in my hands, the magic begins. I take what you've told me and I mix it up with my own inspiration, and then I draw it all out in a rough draft. This rough draft won't be super beautiful, but it will show you the basic layout of the design: areas of use, hardscape, planting beds, gardens, sheds, arbors, etc., It will not include a planting list, as yet.

We meet again. We talk about the ideas I have on paper, and make adjustments as needed. Typically people like to hold on to the rough draft for a few days and let it marinate. There will be a lot to take in and wrap your head around. You are welcome to mark up this rough draft, make notes on it, or whatever.
**Now sometimes, this plan is enough for people. People who know their plant material and are confident in their own plant mapping skills can take the ideas from the rough draft and then add their own planting list. So we can stop the process at the rough draft, if you like. I have my charges broken up in a way that we can call it quits at this point. 

When we are all in agreement and happy with the rough draft layout, I take it back to my office and spend thousands of hours drafting. The most time consuming part for me is the plant schedule. Every plant has to be thoroughly thought through. I make sure every plant works with our climate, looks good against the next plant, and I address things like: seasonal interest, problem areas, microclimate, unity, texture, rhythm, style, plant availability, proportion, variety, your favorites and unfavorites, and overall aesthetics. It takes forever, but it's fun, really fun. So I figure it all out, and then draw it up, add the planting list, and make it as pretty as I can. I bring it to you, walk you through it again, and we all celebrate. After this, you get to install it, in the manner you see fit.

That is basically it. My clients don't usually need me at all after this point, but I'm here if you do.

Other things I am willing to do: help your contractor with plant placement, help as best I can with any issues installing the design, answer your pic texts saying "What plant is this?", meet you at a nursery, find substitutes for any plant that cannot be ordered, piece work--such as design just one flower bed, give opinions on changes to your home exterior, be your friend, etc.

Things I do not do; Sprinkler plans (Sprinkler World will do this for free, or your contractor will help you with this), lighting/electrical plans ( I can tell you where you may want to place lights for best effect, but I am not a lighting expert), tell you how to build something (I am not a licensed architect), pick out all the design details such as concrete stamping or color, light fixtures, fencing, yard sculptures, stonework, etc. (I am always happy to give you my opinion, but I believe the small details should be to your taste. These things make the design your own). Also, I'd rather not be used as a marriage counselor ;).

So do you need me? You can reach me here:
margothakanson@gmail.com

The Pines vs. The Spruces! Who will win?

So today on the ol' Instagram account I posted this pick of a Bosnian Pine and a Blue Spruce. It seems most people around here call any kind of a conifer a "pine". And that's fine if you are Type B. But if you are Type A (like me), and prefer things labeled correctly then you might want to know the difference. The easiest way is to look at how the needles are presented. A pine tree will hold multiple needles (usually 2, 3, or 5) in a sheath that attaches to a branch.

A spruce will have each needle attached directly to the branch with a foot. Spruce needles also have 4 sides (which is how you can distinguish it from firs, they have two). Spruces are usually kind of prickly, too, if you want to do the touch test.

We can talk about firs another time. This is enough for today. Good job.

Welcome

Hi. I'm Margot (the t is silent). I live in Utah and work as a landscape designer, among other things. I love plants. I love talking about them and looking at them and sharing information about them. There is so much to know and so much I don't know, but my purpose in this blog is to help others create an interest in the nature that surrounds them, and hopefully impart some helpful information so it can be enjoyed all the more.