Annoyed But Need Tact

Can you put coloured tape on the trees or bushes that he has to prune? Or if there are lots, tape on the bushes he has to leave alone. Then just thank him and keep reminding him

I have about a hundred bushes and trees. I keep a sort of woodland garden.

After my son went away I discovered he had cut all the growing tips off two evergreen bushes that I watched with pleasure as they grew taller
They should sprout again. Are they non-flowering?
Some need to be pruned now, others in the winter, some in the spring, it is confusing. I not sure what yours are but they should be ok.

Our weigelia looked dead so DD has just hacked it - whether or not it will survive is debatable!!

I had thought he was safe around secateurs
? I'm not, DH gets anxious when I set to with secateurs or loppers.
Shrubs and bushes seem to survive however.

I think wait and see is the best policy, they may thrive even more and you may upset him for nothing.

Grandmabatty

Can you put coloured tape on the trees or bushes that he has to prune? Or if there are lots, tape on the bushes he has to leave alone. Then just thank him and keep reminding him

Good idea

Sounds like a lovely son who wants to help you with what appears to be a huge garden that you can’t manage? I would suggest you either go around the garden when he works to supervise or leave him to it.

I think you should not mention it.
He can't make it right so what is the point?
NEXT time you should maybe supervise him or use Batty's idea in reverse - just mark the ones you do want cutting back.

Hi, I probably wouldn't say anything until you see what actual damage has been caused, which might take until next year. Lots of plants are better for being trimmed, others, as you have mentioned, will take longer to recover or may not flower the following year. I'd wait and see what happens and if any real damage emerges, point it out to your son as you notice so that you can show him what has happened as a result of wrong pruning.

Alternatively, you seem to have a lot of things that need trimmed and so maybe its time to get in a gardener in for the pruning, leaving chopping back weeds to your son?

I'm an eccentric gardener who likes what most normal people would call overgrown. My son is lovely however he is conventional and likes gardens to be controlled.

The bushes in question are pyracanthus if I remember. Not particularly high status plants, but I sort of talk to all the things in my garden and have been praising the two pyracanthuses for their enthusiastic recovery after the new fence was installed and they had to be cut right down to stumps.

My main concern is that my nice son doesn't seem to remember what I have said especially when secateurs or loppers are available.

"I think wait and see is the best policy, they may thrive even more and you may upset him for nothing."

Thanks Callistemon will do.

In my experience you can't get rid of pyracanthus no matter what you do to them!!
You can prune them spring through to autumn.

I'd say nothing rather than upset him.

I asked someone to cut fuschia bushes right down in the spring, DH was horrified but they've grown back up again.

Your son sounds like my DH nice but a neat freak maybe in future supervise him. My DH asked the other week does my herb garden need trimming. I pointed out to him all the bees and insects thriving on them. They are there to be enjoyed in our food etc and for wildlife to enjoy too.
If I want help in the garden I literally have to supervise or my DH would have a field day cutting everything neat and tidy.

"I'd say nothing rather than upset him."

I have a mind to get that framed.

Redhead I agree with the wisdom of supervision but my son hates to be micromanaged.

Caleo

"I'd say nothing rather than upset him."

I have a mind to get that framed.

?

"You say it best when you say nothing at all"
?

Somene who offered to help tidy my garden said to me as he flourished his new cordless chain saw, "I'll cut down that dead tree for you." The "dead tree" was my very healthy sugar maple. He thought its feature of peeling bark meant that it was dead. I stopped him just in time.

I would be tempted to be out there with him, make yourself look busy but steer him away from whatever it is you don't want him to touch. It might also be a good idea to explain the growing cycle of some of your plants, that was he would have a clearer understanding.

We have quite a lot of lavenders and MrP is itching to set about them when the flowers fade.......'Not on your life' says I, that's my job. I know fine well that he will cut them too low and spoil them.

That one too Callistemon. Love it!

"You say it best when you say nothing at all"

Callistemon
My OH is so anti pruning that I literally have to do it when he’s gone out. ?

MerylStreep

Callistemon
My OH is so anti pruning that I literally have to do it when he’s gone out. ?

?

I think I would be thankful that your son helped. Tell him next time they just need a trim as they haven't grown much.

Howckind of your son, the shrubs will recover.

just be glad you see him!

When it's the week of the garden bin collection, my OH goes round with loppers and secateurs cutting down (he calls it pruning) everything in sight. His objective is purely to fill the bin with little regard to whether things will grow back or perish. Nothing I say seems to affect his gardening 'methods'.

I’d be pleased to have the ‘free’ help. My son could, but is just not interested in it…
Just gently ask him to take it easy and ask you before anything drastic. There’s a nice way of telling him.