Call 911!!! I have just witnessed Crape murder!!!

Pruning of plant material is more of an art than a science to me.  All plants need pruning at some time in their life.  A little trim to remove a wild branch , a little thinning to  clean up any dead wood or crossing branches on the inside, Heck even some plants benefit from the renewal pruning like Spirea or Hydrangea.  However,  the Crape Myrtle gets the short end of the proverbial stick (pun definately intended).   I have not seen any other single species of plant so brutally treated in my almost twenty years in this industry.  As many of you know I am originally from Illinois and a relative new commer to the south and its horticultural ways, so to see plants go through an almost annual ritual of  topping or pollarding really leaves me scratching my head.  I know that old habits are hard to break, but, it all starts with a little education. 

1.  All plant material has a natural shape and a mature size. These are important factors when selecting plant materian for your landscape.  Fortunately,  we have a large number of varieties of Crape Myrtle available to  us.  Selecting the mature size and shape  for your specific location is the most important factor when Green Side Up! is designing your landscape.  Variety and color follow close behind.

2. Low maintence is a constant request of Green Side Up! clients.  How low maintence can you get if  we install the plant and all you have to do is take the credit for how good it looks to the neighbors.  Cutting Crape Myrtles year after year increases the time and maintence effort .  That time could be better spent at the beach with the family or on the boat with friends.

  

3. Many people dont think of the value that a mature, quality  landscape adds to a home.   In ten years you could have a mature Crape Myrtle , flowering most of the summer, casting shade over your rear patio allowing the family to be outside in the late afternoon having dinner on their fabulous paver patio and cooking on the built in grill (both constructed by Green Side Up!) .  Or you could be in side with the A/C cranked up staring out the window at the knarled remains of a decade of neglect and abuse.

But , hey, thats just my opinion and what do I know I am just the landscaper.

Pruning of plant material is more of an art than a science to me.  All plants need pruning at some time in their life.  A little trim to remove a wild branch , a little thinning to  clean up any dead wood or crossing branches on the inside, Heck even some plants benefit from the renewal pruning like Spirea or Hydrangea.  However,  the Crape Myrtle gets the short end of the proverbial stick (pun definately intended).   I have not seen any other single species of plant so brutally treated in my almost twenty years in this industry.  As many of you know I am originally from Illinois and a relative new commer to the south and its horticultural ways, so to see plants go through an almost annual ritual of  topping or pollarding really leaves me scratching my head.  I know that old habits are hard to break, but, it all starts with a little education. 

1.  All plant material has a natural shape and a mature size. These are important factors when selecting plant materian for your landscape.  Fortunately,  we have a large number of varieties of Crape Myrtle available to  us.  Selecting the mature size and shape  for your specific location is the most important factor when Green Side Up! is designing your landscape.  Variety and color follow close behind.

2. Low maintence is a constant request of Green Side Up! clients.  How low maintence can you get if  we install the plant and all you have to do is take the credit for how good it looks to the neighbors.  Cutting Crape Myrtles year after year increases the time and maintence effort .  That time could be better spent at the beach with the family or on the boat with friends.

  

3. Many people dont think of the value that a mature, quality  landscape adds to a home.   In ten years you could have a mature Crape Myrtle , flowering most of the summer, casting shade over your rear patio allowing the family to be outside in the late afternoon having dinner on their fabulous paver patio and cooking on the built in grill (both constructed by Green Side Up!) .  Or you could be in side with the A/C cranked up staring out the window at the knarled remains of a decade of neglect and abuse.

But , hey, thats just my opinion and what do I know I am just the landscaper.