Pruning.

i like pruning. i'm anxious about the roses; i've never grown roses before, but they weren't very well cared for the last couple of years and definitely need some trimming. so i've been very conservative with the roses thus far. there is one that i want to relocate, but i haven't decided where it should go. the poor plant gets bumped by the driveway gate every time the gate is opened; either the rose predates the gate (possible), or someone wasn't thinking when they decided to plant a rose behind a gate.

the plumbago by the side fence was getting unruly last fall, even after i cut it back a few times. so this weekend i cut most of it back. all the branches spreading into the yard have been cut to 12-18 inches long, and the bits that were damaged by a couple of cold nights have been removed.

then there are the hollies. i don't like hollies to start with, and ours don't appear to have been trimmed for a couple of years so they are very overgrown - too tall, too wide. last weekend i was pretty brutal with them, although i think they'll be fine. as i told darin, if it doesn't kill them, it will make them stronger. if it does kill them, we can put in something we like better.

Fall Plantings. last fall, when the local nurseries were having their end-of-season clearouts, we bought some miscellaneous plants. i'm most pleased with the butterfly weed and mexican heather. this weekend i'd like to try to start some cuttings. i'll also trying some cuttings from the plumbago, since the three we have in the back yard are so wonderful.