There are few things that herald in spring like the forsythia bush. Its bright yellow flowers announce to the world that warmer temperatures are here and on their way. What a nice way to wake up to spring. And that is just what forsythia does. One day, the landscape is still gray and brown, and the next day, it shows a profusion of bright color.
Forsythia bushes have many uses in a landscape. Very often, they are used to mark property borders. In the spring, summer and fall, forsythia bushes can be used as a privacy fence, especially when the forsythia has been regularly pruned into a dense form.
Forsythia is also good when used to reduce soil erosion on slopes, so if you a hilly or uneven grade, you might want to consider anchoring it with forsythia.
There are two schools of thought about the shape of forsythia. Some owners appreciate the natural branching shape of this bush, while others prefer a more controlled appearance for the bush, such as a rounded or boxy shape.
We inherited a few forsythia bushes here in our home. They are all very wild and out of control and in some serious need of trimming. The bushes that are down into the wooded parts of the property actually look nice for all of their wildness. They are a huge explosion of color. There is one large bush, however, that will need to some cutting back. It serves as a border or a guide leading a walk down from the driveway into the backyard. The bush has overgrown on to the path, creating not so much of a border any longer, but more of a hazard. I plan on trimming this one once it has done flowering, the best time to trim a forsythia bush. Trim it too early or too late, and it won’t bloom for you the following year.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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