Conifers can be kept neat and tidy by regular pruning.
Equally Conifers can become feature plants with there own personalities.
Spiral Pruning
- Interesting patterns and shapes can also be created like this double spiral.
- Two conifer types were used the low growing ball shaped shrubs to make the spiral at ground level. Abies balsamea ‘Hudsonia’ is a bun shaped, slow growing conifer.
- The tall spiral was cut into a Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Columnaris’ which can grow to 20′ high. Golden Yew could also be trained to grow in this shape.
Cloud Pruning
- Cloud pruning was a fad some years ago but it takes dedication to keep up to it.
- Ilex crenata, the small leaved holly is popular in Japan
- Taxus Yew is without equal when clear geometric shapes are required.
- Even Leylandii can be pruned into cloud shapes.
- Pines are more difficult and time-consuming to prune this way.
- Leylandii are forever needing extra trimmi9ng but if you enjoy pruning then it may be the plant for you.
