For the second time this year I realized that I could deal with unwieldy shrubs and fill my house with flowers all at the same time.
Earlier this year I dealt with a particularly aggressive rose bush by clipping off a few of the branches and bringing them inside. The rose bush got cleaned up and the dining room buffet got a little snappier.
Now, it’s another rose that’s out of control. I have a Rose of Sharon shrub that has developed into more of a weeping willow. A weeping Sharon I guess you could say. The branches are literally bending over and touching the ground. I’m not usually one to complain when something bends over backwards for me, but when they contort themselves to the point of looking foolish, I feel I must put a stop to it.
So I started hacking.
Before I put the branches into the jug, I cut the bottom of the branches with pruners vertically up about 4 inches. So the bottom of the branch was split in two, allowing a lot more room for the plant to suck up water.
I expected the branches to be dead by morning, or at the very least looking forlorn. But it’s been 3 days now and they still look perfect. The flowers are fine and new ones are opening.
So if you have a yard (or you have access to someone else’s yard) take a look outside for what you can hack. This time of year you can look for Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon, Rose branches, Sedum, and Hosta flowers. Of course there are many more you can cut but those are the ones I can actually see from my window right now, so I figured I’d go with those. No use using my imagination if I don’t have to.
You think this hacking is impressive? You should see me with a computer. Just as fun but the end results aren’t nearly as pretty.
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