Mexican Orange Hedge Gets a Haircut

My neighbor has a lovely Mexican orange hedge that has overgrown a bit into my yard, requiring that I give it a haircut. Also known as Choisya ternata, this native of Mexico is a very robust shrub that needs periodic trims to keep it neat. The overgrowth into my yard made mowing the lawn area next to it difficult.

Using a lopper, I trimmed quite a bit of the overgrowth. Although skeletal in appearance, not to worry. This shrub will fill in with leaves over the next few months. But I think that the display of the “bones” of this plant is strangely lovely. Here is a close up of its healthy leaves.

Often, gardeners are reluctant to trim, prune, or cut off portions of overgrown plants and trees because they feel that such actions might hurt or even kill the plants or trees. These routine gardening activities, however, promote the growth of new vegetation.

Although the leaves were many, the number of branches supporting these leaves was much smaller in number, making this gardening project rather simple, done in under an hour. Once the new leaves come in, I will keep my eye on their growth and make only light trims with garden shears.