Moxie Gardener

Pine trees rarely need to be pruned, but June is the time to do it.

In Minneapolis today workers hoisted the last steel beam to the top of the new baseball stadium.

Attached to the steel beam was a pine tree.

The tradition goes back some 1200 years to the Vikings, (somehow appropriate). Scandinavian builders topped off their buildings with a sheaf of grain for the horse of their beloved god, Odin. For his part, Odin was so pleased with this that he bestowed good luck on the future occupants.

As the Vikings spread throughout (conquered) Europe, they brought their topping off practice with them. Britons and Germans substituted trees for the grain and interestingly enough, the Scandinavians eventually switched to using a tree.

The tradition was brought to America by Scandinavian iron workers, who promptly added an American flag. Eventually it became common for the workers to sign the beam before it was set in place.

Not only does raising a pine tree commemorate building to the highest point of the structure, it also celebrates doing so without serious injury to the workers.

Pine and evergreen have long symbolized hope to humanity. During the cold, dark, seemingly lifeless days of winter, the pine and evergreen remain green and look alive.

For the most part, pine trees do not need pruning. If you do prune a pine, don’t remove whole branches; the tree may never recover. If a branch is growing into a path, for instance, cut a few inches off the tip rather than the entire branch.

Evergreen shrubs and small trees are often pruned to maintain their size and shape in the landscape. June is the ideal time for this.

Again, prune sparingly. Only prune off the tips of the branches. If it is necessary to remove an entire branch, do not cut it off flush with the main trunk, leave a quarter inch stump.

If you have an large pine or evergreen which has overgrown its space and you’re tempted to cut off the bottom branches, do the tree and yourself a favor and have the tree removed.

Cutting off the lower branches of an evergreen removes the lowest level of support for snow-filled branches. Eventually, starting at the bottom, the remaining branches will break under the weight of the snow.

Remove the tree and plant something that loves acid soil, like blueberries or rhododendrons.

Blueberries taste a lot better than pine cones anyway.

Bridal wreath in full bloom.

Bridal wreath, or spirea, is a spring flowering shrub that has been planted in cities all over the world.

They grow well in almost any soil and once established, tolerate drought and neglect.

Their delicate white flowers on graceful branches bloom dependably every spring.

Plant spring blooming bridal wreath in partial shade. Prune lightly right after the flowers fade. They will bloom next year on wood that grows this year so prune sparingly.

The classic bridal wreath bush is Spirea vanhoutte. This variety has been planted extensively in the United States for a least a hundred years. It grows 6 to 8 feet tall and produces pure white flowers in late May and early June.

Its flowers look like mini-bouquets. For centuries they were twisted around themselves to make a garlands or bouquets for weddings. Its Latin name, Spirea, comes from an old Greek word that means twisted or spiraled.

The bridal wreath in the photo is growing in the yard of an abandoned apartment building. It sits partially in the shade of a maple tree and the grass in the yard is knee high. Yet it is blooming as though it is tended to by a conscientious gardener.

Every garden needs a few plants that are low maintenance.

Lilacs are perhaps one of the most-planted bushes in urban areas.

The lilacs are blooming. All over the city their sweet fragrance permeates the air. Everywhere you look their delicate lilac-colored flowers light up individual lawn specimens or hedgerows of this hardy bush. The brief, two-week period that lilacs bloom every spring almost makes up for freezing winter weather.

Almost.

Lilacs are classified as Syringa vulgaris and are reliably hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 7.

Native to both Europe and Asia, lilacs are now grown around the globe. They have adapted well to urban environments. You’ll find stands of lilacs growing alongside highways and freeways, as well as the property lines of city and suburban lots.

Lilacs grow best in full sun, although they’ll do fine with as little as four hours of direct sun a day.

Plant lilacs in well drained, slightly alkaline soil (add pulverized lime to sweeten). They don’t like their feet wet, so don’t plant them in low lying areas where the water stands after it rains.

Lilacs live for 100 years or more. If you live in the city, chances are the lilac bush in your yard has been growing there since the automobile was a “curiosity” and travel by horse and buggy was the norm.

If you’re lucky enough to have well-established lilacs growing on your property, you probably already know that they’ll continue to grow and bloom every spring with very little help from you.

Provide them with water in times of extreme drought and feed them with an all-purpose fertilizer in late spring after they finish flowering, although they’ll most likely thrive without your intervention.

Prune for size and shape at the same time you cut off the spent flower heads, right after they finish blooming. They’re very forgiving. I once watched a well-meaning neighbor “prune” his lilac bush by ripping off several of the large branches. I was convinced that the bush was history, but it bounced back and bloomed again in a couple of years. Go figure.

Just to be on the safe side, prune out no more than 1/3 of a lilac’s branches at a time. If the bush requires more pruning than that, wait until the following year and again, prune out no more than 1/3 of its branches.

Lilacs seem to last only a few hours as a cut flower before wilting. Here’s what to do to keep a bouquet of lilacs that will last longer: cut short branches, not individual flowers, making sure to cut them at the woody part of the stem. Lay the stems on a cutting board and smash the woody ends with a hammer. This will enable them to more easily draw up water and they will last indoors for several days in a vase. Change the water daily.

Add a few tulips and/or peonies for a spectacular looking spring bouquet.

No flowers smell as sweet as spring-blooming flowers.