Friday, January 24, 2014

Manicuring the Yucca

Hello, friends!  Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog!

One reason we have likely stuck here in California as long as we have is the wonderful weather!  Yesterday it was so lovely out the kiddos and I spent some much needed time out-of-doors. For me, outdoors usually means tinkering around in the garden.  Today's post will feature how I sculpt my yuccas. 

The soil in my garden is very hard, filled with stone, and it was near impossible for us to get anything to grow there.  Enter the yucca. These plants are incredibly hardy, maintain and grow easily, and are aesthetically appealing. When it is cold out, these plants still continue their growth but I noticed mine had become perhaps a little overgrown over the winter.  Here is a shot of the before. 



I began by removing a few of the excess smaller limbs.  Next, I removed foliage from the limbs using a quick downward jerking motion.  Be sure to wear gloves!!  Not only are these spiny and pointy on top, the leaves themselves are incredibly sharp!  Begin at the bottom, and work your way up the limb.


Closer........


I like to remove the foliage in varying heights.


After I finish the removal of all the leaves I desire, I like to trim the leaves. I truly love the appearance of a bluntly-cut yucca.  I use standard craft scissors, they are small and easier to work with (at least for me) than shears for this type of landscaping.  

I used my trusty ladder to get those pesky ones on top (geez, I'm shrimpy, yuccas aren't that tall!  Lol)


 

A little bit of cleanup later, and here are the results.  The whole process was about an hour (it would go faster if I weren't an arachnophobe carefully looking before each trim, hee) and I finished just before dusk.




 
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6 comments:

  1. Thanks for your visit to my bloga nd your comment! I think everyone is envious of California's beautiful weather this winter---brrr--it's been so cold this winter! You trimmed your yucca tree beautifully!

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  2. Thank you so much! I love all the photography on your site as well!! ❤❤

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  3. These look fantastic, much better after a cutting back. Yukkas grow really well in Australia too, we must have similar sunny weather?
    I plan to plant some in my front garden by the driveway where they'll get lots of sun and look great (I hope!)

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    1. Thank you Michelle! Yes, these plants grow very well just about anywhere. Your plan sounds lovely, they'll be great! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Wow! They look amazing. Thanks for sharing. You are one of the features today at the Round-Up from the Before and After Wednesday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link so you can check out your feature. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2014/05/the-round-up-from-before-and-after_14.html Hope to see you again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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