April 7 - Pruning

Pruning

I didn't know about azaleas
  or roses, blackberries, lilacs or crape myrtles
They need to be pruned;
  a good gardener knows when and which ones.
Some are pruned after they bloom
  those which grow the best on new wood.
Some before the blossoms appear because they grow
  the best along stems of old wood.

The trick is knowing the flower;
  When it blooms and how it grows;
Where to plant and whether to clip the blossoms
  or if you should let them go ahead and make seeds and fruit.
The gardener knows the plants he has tended;
  watered, fertilized and trimmed as needed.
The Gardener knows the plant and how best to make it grow and bloom.
  Unlike the plants we must also know and trust the gardener.

© 2014 by Tom King