The concept
 Garden pruning by hand

Dont miss the bloom!

The concept of Garden Pruning by Hand is based on the use of manual tools, so for home pruning, you basically don’t need any mechanical tools. In the small garden pruning gallery below, you'll see examples of gardens that where designed especially around the concept of hand pruning maintenance.
As part of my landscaping evolution, over the years I have discovered the amazing added value from hand pruning, especially with in home gardens that where planed and design around that concept. It  was a little frightening at first, but with  time I realized that planning a garden base on hand pruning maintenance brings a whole new variety of plants that I've never used into the scope of work. The idea caught on (I really don’t want to say ‘like wild fire’ (!!), but you know what I mean) and both I and my clients quickly fell in love with the idea and the plants. I was amazed to see my clients fall in love with their gardens and within weeks learn the names of all the plants they had, writing them down and taking an interest.

Now that they could mostly take care of their own garden, they didn’t need a professional gardener  every week, they didn’t need lots of extra time to invest in the care of their garden, and they didn’t need special heavy duty tools – now that it was up to them they became invested, and it was the nicest thing in the world. For me too things had changed, I found myself hanging around with my clients a lot more, walking around their garden as they stopped next to almost every plant, asking again and again the name of a plant, how best to care for it and when it should be pruned. I could see their eyes sparkle and most were as curious as children, thirsty to learn and see what would happen next.  As I answered their questions I would hand them my pruners and show them where and how to prune, and that was it! that was the moment I fell in love with hand pruning. Handing someone the pruners and encouraging them to discover a whole new world is amazing! It was so beautiful, that I soon took the concept into roof gardens, window boxes, planters, you name it! 

So here is a very small taste from the gardens of my ex-clients. They are no longer clients because they now care for their own garden, and all that is left for me to do is pop-in and visit.

Garden pruning by hand

Check out my little galery

It’s important to know that the ‘garden pruning by hand’ concept has nothing to do with the size or location of your garden. If you think you don't have a garden, you’re wrong. A planter, widow box, or small container are all more than enough to become your garden. Don't think that only those who have a piece of land in the back yard own a garden. Urban or rural, yard or window box, if you planted plants in it, then it’s a garden. In this case, size really doesn’t matter.

With one hand you are free to touch, feel, and remove a side branches,  
while with the other hand you prune!

The concept and idea of home-garden pruning by hand, was born after many years of designing gardens with straight, clean lines. I had enough of doing more of the same and I discovered that most people had no idea what the garden they paid for looked like. I remember telling myself that it didn’t make any sense, and more importantly - they were missing out on all the fun. They didn’t get to touch or smell their garden, they didn’t create anything new, breath in the fresh air… they never felt the pain of being stung by the thorns of a rose bush. I'm not the therapist type, I promise, but I can tell you that this small picture gallery represents a new start for many people. These are  high density gardens that require very little maintenance. You don't have to plan a ‘garden day’, it’s not a project. These are year round gardens with seasonal performances, and all you need to do is step outside with your hand pruner every once in a while. I promise it’s more rewarding than paying your gardener ;)

Providing general guidelines on 'how to prune' any kind of plant is important, but there are plants, and there is YOUR plant. So despite there being loads of information on this site, I also provide specific and personalized support. If something wasn't clear, or you're not sure of your plant's name, simply send me a picture with your question. Use the form below and I'll get back to you. In the mean time, see what others are asking. 

Gardening gift ideas
to use indoors or out