Taking Back the Yard

Our Back Forty has been sadly neglected for the last year and hurricane Irma did not do anything to help.  We finally decided that we had to go out and take back our yard.  Enough is enough! 

It is very nice to have a somewhat natural backyard--to let the trees, bushes, and plants grow as they want.

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The Plumbago with its delicately blue flowers was blooming profusely just a few weeks ago, but it was spilling out well into the yard.  It was growing against the shed and it made for a great source for butterflies and other pollinators but some of it had to go  It will come back this spring.  We did leave some of the greenery against the shed.

Mexican Petunia

Then there was the Mexican Petunia with its purple flowers.  It has a tendency to spread--it creeps and crawls.   Butterflies and bumble bees like the petunia.

Most gardeners maintain that you should not prune flowering shrubs at this time of the year.  It will encourage growth that may be susceptible to the cooler temperature of winter.  What winter?

Red top or Red Tip at its best

I drastically pruned the Red Tops.  They were scraggly and made for a sad looking hedge.  I cut off the branches at the hint of new dormant growth and left some of the branches alone.  I feel that if the bushes don't come back this spring, I have not lost much.

Lantana

The Lantana is a bush with pink/ yellow/orange flowers and is also popular with pollinators.  They spread quickly through their root system.  Lantanas that are more or less permanent should be pruned or the stems become woody and scraggly. 

My husband and I are pleased with the work we have done so far but we have so much more to do.

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