One of the reasons I loved our house when we first looked at it is because of the mature and magnificent flowering shrubs including sasanquas and camellias that surround it. The house was built in 1927 so the vegetation is probably about 80 years old. Although officially classified as shrubs, they stand taller than the roofline, at least 15 or 20 feet high. The sasanquas bloom starting in October. The white one is the first camellia to bloom and is always in time for Thanksgiving. The others open throughout December and January.
A key to healthy and beautiful growth is to cut these plants back as soon as they stop blooming. That will be very soon for the sasanquas and over the next few months for the camellias. Pruning is a must and if you do it too late, next year’s blooms are compromised. Pruning is as key to cultivating growth as food, water and sunshine.
Have you had a beautiful and productive year? Are you thinking about what you want to accomplish next year? Consider what you need to prune from your world. Is there something that served its purpose but is no longer necessary? Trim it from your life. Don’t wait too late. Removing the deadwood will allow you to focus your energy on healthy new growth and produce lovely new blooms in 2012.