Potted Cedar Tree

Cedar trees planted in large pots is a fast way to dress up a large area of pavement or concrete and can be part of your landscape design.

Potted Evergreen Cedars trees are a fast and easy way to increase your home’s curb appeal with out committing yourself to a lot of digging!

P.S. Square planter is white plastic container about 2′ x 2′ x 20″ high (600x600x500mm) purchased at Lowes.ca

Trim Cedars

Best Cedar Tree trimming time is late Fall or early Spring !

A Cedar tree’s growth generally retains the latest shape created … but a new trimming can bring back the design shape you like best.

Cedar trees can be formed into many shapes.  This is an easy DIY project!

When one is pruning cedars,  some prefer to cut the bottom wider than the top to allow sunlight to the lower branches … more of a Christmas tree or cone shape. Cedars are flexible and as shown in the picture above as cedars are trimmed in more of a column shape.

Trimming cedar trees or hedge can be done most any time of the year. The best time is after spring’s 6-8 week cedar leaf growth period.

Cedar Pruning Caution: Start out slowly and trim a little at a time until your shape starts to develop.  Cutting to deeply into the cedar you will run into the interior branches that have little or no foliage … then you end with a hole in you shape .. not so good!

Tools need are a sharp pair of hand shears for smaller trees … some smaller cedar hedges can be done with shears but with larger cedar hedges one needs an electric or gas shears.

If you have large and tall cedar hedges consider using an arborist as there is some danger and/or skill involved.

Advantages to regular annual pruning is that it keeps the cedar’s shape you want. Regular trimming maintains your cedar’s size and the garden area they take up.

2 Smoke Bushes

The Smoke Bush can be a shrub to add to your landscape design. Unique to the SmokeBush are it’s green to reddish to purple large plumes that appear on the bush during the summer.

The blooms are very showy and is a top pick specimen for planting at the back of a garden or a shrub border in landscape … as the Smoke Bush can grow 10-15′ high if not trimmed.

Shown are 2 Smoke Bushes decorating either side of a stairway with wooden rails for safety.

Dwarf Apple Tree

Dwarf Apple Tree can be a good fit for an with urban gardener with limited space.

Best cover your apple tree’s fruit as the apples mature, especially if you get large birds or animals who want to eat your bounty.

What is that crow thinking “Free Apples!”?

P.S. Dwarf trees are smart choice for city gardens! Many people plant a new maple or oak … then 25 years later it takes up the whole yard … unless you move!

Fountain Decoration?

Problem with a dead lack luster area in your garden?   Scruffy shrubby path area or need to dress up an entrance … to impress for business or the family Simple Garden Idea! Works great with any bird bath with a few water colorful lily flowers as shown below.Landscape Notes:

A. Square Patio stone underneath the bird bath helps stabilize the bird bath level.

B. Scotts brand deep forest brown mulch creates a base of ground cover.

Sprinkler Time?


When the hot dry “heat wave” warnings come out you can sit back and relax!

Garden Sprinklers are real convenience for the avid gardener, dry conditions and busy people because many hours of hand watering are saved.


1. Garden Sprinkler System is broken into zones (3 shown) because your water supply volume can’t water one’s entire property all at once. Zones allow one to separate garden areas from lawn areas along with varying each zones water times.

2. Sprinkler water flow can be adjusted at the pop-up heads but it true that some plants or flowering pots may need more water attention.

3. PS Sprinkler systems can have remotes that allow you to test and activate zones on a need basis. A must have!

Landscape Assistant?

John Deere Gator can make a enormous help with landscaping .. real work horse for hauling earth, brush, rocks … biggest bonus you’ll get bigger jobs finished sooner .. especially when you work by yourself!

Landscape considerations:

1. 4×4 wheel drive great for slopes and wet conditions

2. Over sized tires help prevent tearing up your lawn and leave less deep track trails

3. Window shield keeps rain out and protect yourself from branch whacks in the face

4. Electric tip is nice to have .. JD Gator small dump box, manual lever tip works well.

5. Trailer hitch allow you options to pull a trailer .. trees, branches

6. Electric Winch .. pull yourself out or pull other things

7. Other features: Hard doors, heater, wiper blades, mirrors, radio, LED light bar, snow plow, Camouflage vinyl overlay ..