Photo 1 shows the area before any work was done. It is a shady area with filtered light and the soil is sometimes on the wet side so the clients wanted us to choose perennials that would thrive in these conditions. We needed to do a little pruning first because there were many branches extending out into the bed area, but the clients didn't want the shrubs reduced significantly. After removing some of the lower branches and thinning, there is now more room for planting as can be seen in Photo 2.

The bed has been planted with shade-tolerant perennials, Photo 3, including Solomon Seal, Astilbe, Brunnera, Bleeding Heart and some ferns.

For quality gardening services, contact Fine Gardeners.

Photo 1 shows a rose bush that has never been pruned properly, probably 10 years old. Photo 2 is a closeup of the same rose bush that has been lopped back to about 15" to allow for easier access in order to do drastic thinning. Note the density and congestion of stems throughout the bush. "Aah, I can breath!" Photo 3 shows the same bush after drastic thinning. The most desirable stems are preserved to allow for strong, healthy growth that will support clean foliage and flowering. Now there is appropriate spacing between stems to allow for good light penetration and air circulation. To the uninitiated, this looks like outright butchery. My client was concerned that I killed her roses, but as the next photo shows, her worries were soon relieved.

Photo 4 shows the same rose bush taken at the end of July, whereas, the first 3 photos were taken in early May. As you can see from photo 4, roses are extremely resilient and respond well to hard pruning and thinning. From the same property photo 5, taken early April, shows two roses side by side after reduction and thinning. Photo 6 shows the same roses taken in early September, happy and healthy with loads of flower buds to continue flowering well into the fall.

For more information on pruning roses, contact Paul Marini at Fine Gardeners.

This client had an existing perennial garden that she was unhappy with. Many of the plants were low-growing, spring-blooming plants that were not very showy so she wanted to revamp the garden. Photo 1 shows the garden area after most of the plants were removed. We salvaged a few of the original plants to use in the new garden. Choosing superior varieties of perennials makes a huge difference in the long-term results. The original planting used varieties that never flourished and were lacking good structure and flower display. So we chose strong varieties that will perform well and positioned them to complement each other throughout the season. The bed was reshaped and widened to allow more room for the plantings. We also amended the soil with compost before planting.

Photos 2 and 3 were taken right after the plants were installed. A mixture of evergreens and perennials were planted for seasonal interest throughout the year. Since the garden was planted in September, the plants did not have much time to flower and some of them are showing their autumn color.

Photos 4, 5 and 6 were taken the following summer as you can see the plants are much more mature and the garden is lush and colorful. Tall plants were placed against the stone wall in order to create a colorful view from the street as can be seen in photo 7.

For more information on perennial garden, contact Paul Marini at Fine Gardeners.