This is the highly anticipated time of the gardening season
when temps are slowly rising and you
know the fun is ready to begin. We need, however, to clean out the beds and
prune! So here are guidelines on when/how to prune in the growing season:
From
Better Homes & Gardens: For starters, begin by removing
dead, diseased & damaged stems; as soon as you see the new growth forming, you'll
see them. Also remove suckers (from the ground) and vigorous growth from the
trunks and side branches. Complete tips/videos for all scenarios from BHG
website are contained in the link below:
So you didn't think I would forget that
this garden lesson applies to our daily lives too?! This blogger/homeowner has
been mesmerized by the fyi series 'Tiny
House Nation' and the downsizing home movement. I also stumbled upon a
wonderful book, 'The More of Less' by
Joshua Becker. It is a wonderful read and points out that minimizing is not a
one size fits all scenario. (But did you know the average home contains approx.
300,000 items - not a typo!) If you haven't moved in many years then the
accumulation has probably happened! I personally see the look of panic on my
daughter's face at our amount of stuff! Joshua Becker points out in his book
that the Millennials are interested in more experiences and less stuff; she is
a true Millennial & my role model/helper with this process!. So with all this inspiration in mind, I have begun my own personal journey. For starters, our biennial garage & perennial
(forces me to divide!) sale happens this May. I also began last fall selling
items on EBay. This has been wonderful for me, I mean who knew you could get as
much a rush selling as going shopping and buying?! We also donate, toss &
gift to someone who we know can use. Another favorite show of mine, 'American Pickers', follows Mike &
Frank going around the country uncovering
treasures that they can sell but more importantly that the world needs to see
again. We may not have 'outbuildings' full of stuff, but who doesn't have
attics, basements, closets, drawers with things that haven't seen the light of
day in years?!?
My personal pruning process is happening
now & no matter how much or little I get through in a month's time, it
feels good ~ really good. How many of the plant pruning points above apply to
our real lives too? I especially love the 'stimulates new growth' and 'enhances
flowering'. Seriously who among couldn't use a whole lot of that while reducing a whole lot
of this?! Have Fun & Prune Away, readers!!!
