While I was hiding my splotchy face from public, I pruned my snowball bush. This tree is one of only two plants that remain on the property from when we bought our house in 1990. I enjoyed doing a sort of pictorial historical study as part of composing this post, and will share some pictures from the last ten years, for my own nostalgic reference, I suppose.
This viburnum had not been dealt with thoroughly for a long time! As I squeezed between it and the fence, and maneuvered my loppers between the branches here and there, I recalled similar intimate springtime engagements through the years. We have a long history, Snowball and I, of me trimming and grooming, and him responding ten months later by adorning my garden with a glorious display. I’ve even been given flowers with which to decorate graves at appropriate times.
It took several hours over two days to do a thorough job of thinning the branches evenly, and shortening the whole enough that I can manage it more easily in the future. Now it’s so thin it was hard to get a good picture. I must have removed 80% of the plant mass; the piles of clippings all over the place attest to that. But I bet the flowers will be bigger next year!
I think Alejandro my sometimes landscaper/garden worker will come soon to remove the offending spurge after all, and he should have time to help me clean up the prunings. I don’t mind doing that, either, but I also have books to read and meals to cook and walks to take… I’m satisfied that I was able to do the pruning itself, in a way I don’t think anyone but me has ever done it in the past or would be willing to do it ever. I count myself the most blessed of women to have time and strength, and a garden to work in, where in the back corner lives an enduring snowball bush!
What beautiful blooms from this bush! You did a great job of pruning it. A lot of work, but you will be greatly rewarded.
I would love to walk around your dear garden.
Have a wonderful week ~ FlowerLady
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Where is the rabbit hutch?
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Long, long-gone…. 😦
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I find it nearly impossible to do such a drastic pruning even when I know the shrub will be all the better for it next year.
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It’s a splendid snowball! It is also blessed by you, giving it a trim so it can be at its very best for the next blooming season.
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Your garden is lovely. It really looks like it is out in the middle of nowhere. I love how it’s all grown up. I have always wanted a snowball bush. It is so pretty.
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Your snowball in bloom is a glorious thing.
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This reminds me of my mother. She had a luscious snowball bush like yours and she loved it!
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That’s hefty, hard work! Good job 🙂 You will be thanked with a healthy bush and many blooms 🙂
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