Our Rhododendron is 26 years old.
When Bill and I first moved to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia the little “Rhodie” was a house warming gift from our friends, Terry and Barbara. An avid gardener, Barbara actually planted it in a corner of the front yard. “It will be protected there,” she said.
Barbie was right because the Rhododendron eventually grew and bloomed and surprised us with some amazing displays. And then she burgeoned into a giant beauty, almost touching the eaves of the house and spreading wide and well beyond her expected corner boundaries.
“Time to cut things back,” I thought, “Maybe with a trim she will thrive and be renewed.” And though I really hated the idea, I clipped away to slim her down.
Rhodie’s big displays promptly stopped.
We were lucky to see one or two flowers in a season.
She must not have liked my pruning because season after season there were only one or two flowers on display.
She was on strike, so I decided to leave her alone – no more pruning, only watering and mulch.
Years later and Rhodie has grown to enormous proportions once again. She is reaching for the eves and spreading beyond her rightful place, and she is big and fat and happy! And just look at all the gorgeous flowers! But is there such a thing as too big?
Help! So many of you, my blogger friends, are extraordinary gardeners.
To prune or not to prune. That is the question.
Virginia Views 