I’ve already seen a lot of hedging taking place on many shrubs around town. My personal opinion is that shrubs should be left to grow in a more natural form.  However, I can’t argue with the beauty of a formal garden lined with beautifully trimmed hedges. I’ve also been known to stop and admire or even take a picture of a nicely maintained topiary from time to time.

That being said mid to late November is a better time to prune our evergreen beauties in the garden. When they are pruned too early, there is a chance they will put out some new growth which will get killed by the first frost of the year. Pruning a little later in November creates a beautiful hedge for visitors to see during the holidays, while preserving the new growth buds for next spring.

If you haven’t already pruned those shrubs into balls or boxes in the landscape, consider selecting the stray or wild branches and pruning them back down inside the plant where the cut won’t be visible and the plant maintains its natural shape.  A word of caution, don’t prune spring flowering plants like azaleas and camellias.  Pruning this time of the year removes the flower buds.