This past Saturday was a picture perfect day in my Georgia Garden! I was able to get my hands in the warming dirt and play most of the day. If only every day could be such as Saturday.
Ah, but we must have rain at times to keep everything happy so Sunday, we saw the rain. I have a Question for you Garden lovers today. Those of you that have Butterfly Bushes; Do you prune them each year or let them grow freely?
As you can see, I prune my bushes (I have talked about this before. Click HERE for more) but only due to them being under our low power lines. If not for the power lines, I would let them go free and see how large they would grow.
Look to the back of the garden, behind the pine tree trunk and you will see the clump of wild Plum trees in bloom. 
I have never had Butterfly Bushes until I started to Garden at this house. I don't even know if they will grow as nicely if not pruned. But these sure seem to enjoy being pruned as they bloom profusely for me each year.
I can hardly wait for them to bloom as they call in the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds from all over the neighborhood! I cannot imagine my garden without these wonderful bushes. Lets see what the BUSH POLL, will be, In the Garden...
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,
In the Garden
Yes I have always pruned mine...I lost my purple one from too much water last year...still have a white one though...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a perfectly wonderful first day of spring. Wish I could grow butterfly bushes, but alas, they are not happy down here.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy ~ FlowerLady
Skeeter,
ReplyDeleteI usually prune them it stimulates strong new growth. Thanks for reminding me I need to prune ours, way over due.
Skeeter, Say Obama Poll....Bush is gone. No, just kidding. I tried to grow a butterfly bush years ago without success, maybe I'll try again sinc I have more space/sun. Yours are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, no Butterfly Bushes, but I have several types of salvia that I do prune a little. Thinking back, we prune quite a few things in our yard.
ReplyDeleteYour butterfly bushes look so healthy! I think your doing something right.
ReplyDeleteLovely Skeeter, so glad you were able to feel warm soil, it sounds delightful. All of our buddleias are grown as standards, staked like trees, and the tops are pruned twice a year. These bushes flower on new growth, so the more you prune, that stimulates the new growth. Do not prune after August, here anyway, though, for the young growth will be damaged by frost and cold.
ReplyDeleteFrances
I DO Prune my butterfly bushes in late winter or early spring.
ReplyDeleteFor the 'Royal Red' used along the driveway, I cut back to knee-high on me using a cordless Hedgehog trimmer. No mercy.
For my shorter 'Adonis Blue' I do a very nice rounded shape and take more time as it is front-and-center in the garden.
My 'Pink Delight' are currently assisting with shade and screening in the fragrance garden, so I just deadhead those tips. These are magnificent and I'd love to move them front-and-center when their duty in the other garden has ended.
The other varieties, I just do what suits me at the time!
That said -- I will also give all of my BBs a rounded shape and deadheading around the end of June. Otherwise, a wind storm with rain (it happens every summer) tends to knock those along the driveway right out of the ground. I still have two that are staked from last year.
I don't have any butterfly bushes, but I have just started a new border. I think I will have to add one. Thanks for the idea! Carla
ReplyDeleteI prune ours to keep it under control! They can grow out of hand if they aren't pruned back every now and then.
ReplyDeleteI prune my one and only to about knee high depending on the branches. They really seem to prefer it this way. Letting them go might let them get leggy and not encourage new growth. They are wonderful the way you've pruned them.
ReplyDeleteI bought one for the first time last year and didn't prune it because I wasn't sure if I should. I figured the answer would come from one of the blogs I read. I usually just do whatever Tina & Skeeter say to do ...:-)
ReplyDeleteGood Morning and thanks so much for the information on the Butterfly bushes! It seems as though I have been doing the right thing by pruning the bushes even though, I had no idea I was suppose to prune them! I have only pruned them due to the power lines but in this case, the right thing to do. How ironic…
ReplyDeleteI have some errands to run this morning so will chat when I get the chance later on this afternoon…. Everyone have a great day!
I'm pretty sure BBs bloom off new wood, so in climates where they are dormant over the winter, we have to prune them back to get new growth (at least, that's what everyone in MI does, LOL!). I cut mine back to about 6 inches each spring, and it's always very late to set out new growth. Sometimes people think they BB have died, but they're just late coming back. I suppose you could leave the dead stalks, but I don't think anything would grow from them. Hmmm... I smell an experiment coming on!
ReplyDeleteI think Bob prunes ours sometimes - when he's in the mood. I wish he would all the time because that's what I've read is best (and told him, LOL).
ReplyDeleteI'm sure glad we haven't lost ours with all of the rain we get here. They probably just got use to living underwater here.
Yours are beautiful so I think you're doing what you need to be doing!
Whatever you do is surely the right thing as they look mighty happy.
ReplyDeleteYours look good. I'd keep doing what you've been doing:)
ReplyDeleteHere they are an annual almost. My sister lost two of hers last year and she isn't sure if any will return this spring.
As Dawn, I also thought it was about politics... I don't have this plant, but I know that it's banned in Oregon (with the exception of sterile varieties that produce little of no seed). It designated a noxious weed, its sale and propagation banned throughout the state. It competes with their Douglas fir seedlings.
ReplyDeleteSkeeter I don't have butterfly bushes either but they sound lovely even if having one is political :)
ReplyDeleteI treat mine like a big perrenial and cut it WAY down each spring. It always reaches it's previous year's height again and blooms wonderfully. I leave like 6 to 10 inches. It grows 6 to 8 feet.
ReplyDeleteLooks good Skeeter. I don't have one but it sure would give me some color.
ReplyDeleteI do have to be careful as I have a small yard & I have to depend on someone else to mow.
Good evening everyone! You all are cracking me up with the Political references. I never thought of that. lol....
ReplyDeleteI wanted to drop by and chat with each of you today but silly me, went to some garden centers and ended up digging in the dirt! I will drop by as soon as I get a chance but headed to court tomorrow for my first day of sitting on the Grand Jury! I am excited about it but must shut off this computer so I can read the 35 page book and some paper work the DA gave us. I am not into reading except for Garden Blogs, :) so this will not be fun for me. Ah, the things we must endure for our Civic Duty. Everyone have a good evening….
I prune mine every year.. but have been waiting later and later due to caterpillars.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the first year I haven't pruned it, now I guess I better after reading it blooms on the new wood. Now I know what I'll be doing tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteI prune every year ~ but out of necessity not choice. Mine die back every year (being in zone 5) so they have to start completely over.
ReplyDeleteHello Skeeter, I have a mauve one that I have let get quite tall, but still prune at the top to encourage flowers. I've shaped it a bit so you can walk under it and it forms a sort of an (unruly) natural arbour at the side of my house. I've planted a couple more more recently and these I will keep trimmed to a more manageable height! They don't slow down for long in my climate, so you've got to keep an eye on them or they grow as big as the house :)
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, I still don't have a butterfly bush, but I think I would prune one if I had one. I would think it would help it to bloom better and promote fuller growth.
ReplyDeleteHope some of your bulbs have finally made an appearance!
Do your butterfly bushes die back and go dormant? I live in zone 4. My bushes lose all their leaves and go dormant. I cut them back to about 3 feet and in June the new growth will start popping out, then I cut anything off that doesn't have new growth. They do pretty good up here, I have 6 of them in different growing conditions.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, No, the butterfly bushes do not go completely dormant here. Their leaves turn a grayish-green color and droop plus I loose some of the leave but not all. You can see the old growth on the bushes in the second picture. Once it warms up, such as now, they start growing like crazy and fill in quickly with bright green leaves. They are hardy bushes in this part of the country…
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