Going into winter, we have to start picking our projects carefully. Aside from the obvious autumn chores (like bringing in the garden ornaments, stacking wood, raking leaves, etc), we start categorizing our task list by ‘indoor tasks’ and ‘outdoor tasks’. Anything in the ‘outdoor task’ bucket gets priority, because this time of the year you never know when the last day of fall is. Anyone who has lived in this area (and probably Michigan in general) knows that weather is completely unpredictable! So for all we know, winter could be here tomorrow.
One big item on our to-do list for next year is to figure out our hedges. We’re either cutting them all out, or doing some serious pruning. They’re easily 40 years old and are just getting overgrown and hard to manage! The photo to the left is just a couple months after trimming them back, believe it or not…
So Dan decided to get a little creative… 🙂 Knowing that we could just cut them out if we didn’t like the results, Dan had free reign to go crazy. After a little research on topiary hedging, he started pruning. And pruning. And pruning!! Until, voila! Our very first ‘bonsai’ was formed. What do you think? Yay? Nay? We have all winter to think about it… 😉
3 comments
OMIGOSH ~ the hedges look SO much better “bonsai’d”! I LOVE it! I’ve been doing a similar-ish thing with our azaleas, as they get SO thick at the outer parts, and then deadish looking at the inside of the bushes, that I cleared paths for sunlight to get into the middle of the bushes so the outside was not so ‘glommed’ together. What a difference! They now look pretty and healthy and not all clumped up on the outside and deadish looking on the inside. Even minimalizing our shrubbery can bring us joy!
Hi Guys! This was a wonderful choice to bring a zen feel and fresh perspective to your outdoor space! :O)
Have you considered collecting some larger rocks from the area to scatter around the base zone of the hedges and then backfill with some small limestone chip or pea gravel (good to keep weeds in check too) It will be a Japanese oasis! ENJOY!
Ideas here: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=japanese+rock+scaping+around+garden+hedge&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT7uu69u_VAhXHKMAKHVZLC_oQ_AUICigB&biw=1422&bih=736
What a spectacular creation – perfect combination of conceal and reveal.