The silver lining to the recession? Taking control of your overgrown yard by getting out there yourself.

As Stephen Anderton says in his book, Rejuvenating a Garden: “If you have time and energy, it is amazing what you can achieve with a bit of money.''

Remove and redefine

The first step is to reduce or remove vegetation. The second is to redefine the lines that frame lawns, beds, fence lines, paths and patios.

These measures yield a neater, cleaner garden that looks good and gives a sense of satisfaction that transcends the aches and pains of the work. A tip: You don't have to tackle the whole garden at once.

Some aspects of renovation may need advice from experts. A tree that has died from neglect can cost thousands of dollars to remove. Remember that tree work is hazardous and best left to professionals.

Trees and shrubs typically grow one to two feet per year before reaching maturity. Often, a 12-year-old plant is twice the desired size.

Sometimes it is obvious when a plant outgrows its space, such as when it covers a window or blocks a path.

Sometimes the bulkiness is less apparent but needs fixing because a shrub has lost its outline or a patio tree is casting too much shade for the plants beneath it.

Reducing vegetation

Shade trees:
Removing the lower branches of shade trees is an effective way to lighten the plant. This should be done before the tree is mature and must be achieved in a way that allows the wounds to heal. Consult an arborist.

Shade trees should be shaped when young — to create a single trunk and a framework of branches.

This, called formative pruning, can be done until a tree is 15 years old, says Peter Deahl, an arborist in Sterling, Virginia.
The rules are different for mature shade trees.

The leafy branches should be left alone but the deadwood and dying branches should be removed to keep the tree open and healthy.

This should be done every three to five years.

Ornamental trees:

The same principles of formative pruning apply, though the scale of ornamental trees allows the homeowner a crack at it.
Never cut back branches to stubs just to lower the height of a tree. This, called topping, will lead to rank regrowth and permanent disfigurement.

You see it done on crape myrtle trees that should have been either shaped when young or not planted at all.

Shrubs:

You have four options for renovating shrubs, depending on the species. Shrubs may be turned into a minitree, especially if they have a single trunk before branching.

It takes a good eye to see a shrub's inner tree. So proceed slowly. I have seen this done effectively with overgrown burning bushes, arborvitae and yews.

Some shrubs that are given to suckering can be cut to the ground. They will spring back with health while reducing their mass. It may take two years for them to look full again.

Other shrubs can handle this approach but, as landscape designer Gordon Hayward points out, their recovery is slow.

It is better to remove or cut back up to a third of the oldest branches each year for three years. This reduces the canopy, opens the plant to light and air and encourages bushy growth.

The fourth option is to remove the shrub. Some are difficult to rejuvenate and some hedges are thin and rank, especially in shade.

A heavily trimmed shrub will benefit from extra care: Water often and apply a fertiliser.

Hedges:

Hedges can be reduced in height but you should make clean cuts — best achieved with hand pruners or loppers — rather than electric shears.

The cut stems will be full of new growth in a few weeks.

Taper the sides of the hedge a little, making it narrower at the top, so that the lower foliage receives sunlight and remains full.

Tightly clipped or sheared hedges need two or three cuts per season and are stressed in hot climates.

Redefining lines

Edges:

Trimmed shrubbery returns space to the garden; clean edges restore harmony. One of the most effective techniques is to define the line where the lawn meets a planting bed through regular edging.

Hayward uses a straight-edged spade; a shovel is too curved for the job. Use string to guide the edge. The edge will lose its definition in time and should be redefined about every six weeks through the growing season.

Paths and patios:

Installing these can be costly. You can transform a concrete front walk by framing it in brick, cobbles or clean-cut bluestone.

If you have a dry-laid brick or flagstone path or patio that has sagged and bowed, you can have it reset at a lower cost than installing a new one, says Katia Goffin, a landscape architect.
The masonry can be power-washed to look new. You would save on materials, delivery and design costs, which could reduce the expense by 30 per cent.

By Adrian Higgins, Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service

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