Early spring garden tips and tour - with pruning tips

Pruning tips - how to prune deciduous trees, roses and ornamental grasses. Plus starting a wildflower lawn with crocuses.

0:00 Welcome
0:54 Growing crocuses in a lawn
2:50 We've got ivy mining bees in the lawn
3:57 Planting wildflower seeds in the lawn
4:27 Prune your roses now
5:29 Three different ways of pruning deciduous trees
6:37 Where to cut a branch off a tree
7:21 Thinning out a shrub or tree from the ground
7:42 How to cut back ornamental grasses
9:28 Garden tour and spring flowers to music

Whether you love English garden style, cottage gardens or contemporary urban gardening, The Middlesized Garden has gardening advice and garden ideas for you.

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[heidis]

Last year, I started a garden of sorts, in pots, on the barren sidewalk in front of my apartment building. In the fall, in a burst of optimism, I planted bulbs of crocus, anemone, muscari, tulips, and pheasant's eye narcissus. I didn't know what would survive the harshmness of winter in pots. (I live in Philadelhia, in the mid-Atlantic coast of the U.S.; it is Zone 7.) Gratifyingly, some grass-like blades showed up a couple of weeks ago, but then a terrific snow and ice storm hit -- the same one that brought Texas to its knees. But some crocus are trying again, now and I can see the golden-yellow buds. It is intensely gratifying.

[amynelsongreen]

Thank you, Alexandra! I feel like most of my garden designs are much more beautiful in my mind than in real life. 😆 I’m often moving things around because the original idea didn’t work out like I had imagined. I appreciate you modeling real life garden planning.

[zsoltkerekes]

I had no luck naturalising crocus until a neighbour (a retired garden designer) recommended crocus tommasinianus. It started to work but then I moved....to her house and now benefit from her planting!

[karengeorge]

I too experienced the unimpressive 100 crocus planting some years back. So last autumn I planted 500 in a 10 foot diameter form of a smiling face 🙂 Every time I catch a glimpse this spring, it definitely lifts the mood

[charlesprice]

Thanks for being the first signs of Spring in Ohio.

[michellebeissel]

We have a ton of ivy which I love as topiary and ground cover, and did not know about the mining bees! Our spring lawn took years to mature but now looks great with its abundance of English daisies, forget-me-nots, sweet violets, and dandelions! Also there's a good area out front covered with vinca minor which is a profusion of blue at present.

[colsen]

The house across the street from the library I worked at in Virginia was solid crocus in late winter. As they died back, the lawn took over. It was an incredible sight, interesting to watch the transition.

[janereel]

The whole video is terrific. I especially liked hearing about the plans for the wildflower lawn. Please do keep us updated on it's evolution. Also, you're such a good role model and advocate for sustainability which is illustrated in your concern for the ivy mining bees. I'm a better gardener after learning from your channel. 🐝🐛Also "mini mess".LOL

[plume]

This video is extremely helpful-you are full of information and are a great teacher. I have a lot of your videos to watch!

[GrannysGarden]

A wildflower meadow, how delightful Alexandra. I'm really looking forward to seeing that progress. I planted crocuses a couple of years ago in autumn and last year was their first growing season and they were a bit disappointing if truth be told. But this year there are masses of them, totally unexpected, but most welcome, so hopefully next year your lawn will have a load more. The white ones seem to have multiplied more than the purple or yellow ones. Next year I'll see if the others catch up or maybe confirm that the white ones are naturalizing better. Isn't it great to be back out in the garden!

[terrimueller]

😆 Alexandra, I did the same thing. I have a small lawn of about 12 x 16 feet surrounded by beds. I’d taken out a large tree and could finally grow grass. Last fall I scattered 200 small crocus (tommies) across the dirt just before they put down sod. They came up this spring, but not in the swath I was hoping for .... they look a little pitiful. But all 200 are there and like you, they are ones that should naturalize. I figure in about five years it’s going to look fabulous! If you add more in the fall, cutting away a swath of sod and placing the crocus tightly under it before flopping the sod back over may be a much quicker way to achieve your desired results. Good luck!

[jeanneamato]

Loved the music at end. We still have snow here in New England so I throw poppy seeds and some annuals right on the snow and they are watered as snow melts and germinate. I envy your weather.

[donaldauguston]

Excellent video. Thank you for posting. DA

[buddleiabee]

6:20 wow I wasn't expecting that.

[TheImpatientGardener]

A mini mess! I love it. Delightful to see signs of spring in your beautiful garden.

[Roddersville]

good advice thank you...I ‘naturalise’ my crocus in grass bordering my main gravel and stone path....and I’m very pleased with the yearly display it puts on...😁

[jonathantaylor]

Thank you once again, another great video stacked with tips and really useful advice.
Looking forward to follow the progress of your front lawns, tried it myself and had a mess for several years 😁
Keep up the great advice.

[justynjonn]

That a fun touch ...the time-lapse and lively piano bit!

[Silviafranzetti]

I had the same experience with crochus.

[TaylorTiree]

Thank you for all the tips. I’m going to put on my gardening trainers and get out into the garden right now!