The owner of a landscaping company I used did an amazing job trimming my trees. So I asked if he could do a slight trim on my purple leaf sand cherry shrub. He sent one of his young employees over to do it and I am really disappointed in how it looks now. I just wanted to clean it up a little and he turned the shrub into a broom imo. Here is how it looked two days ago: Here is how it looks now after he chopped it up: I don't like it at all but two of my friends say it looks OK to them. Two questions please: 1. Does it look OK to you? 2. Is it possible it can grow full again or will it have that shape from now on just be larger? Thanks.
I liked it better in the first picture because it blended better. You see a change in the color of the foliage because it is now exposed to the sun where it wasn't before ( and that will change now that it is exposed) and it is giving room and more light to the shrubs below it. he did what needed to be done to the tree for the shrubs below. eventually you will have way more tree than "shrub". as it was it was "shrubby".... not a tree to cast some shade. If you want a shrub you need to get rid of the shrubs below it or it will eventually kill them by overgrowing them. it was probably a cute little planting when it was planted but things grow into sizes unexpected most times. whether you planted it or the home builder, previous owner or even a landscaper... there are many a shrub plantings that quickly grow out of their cuteness and you have to be vigilant and ruthless in containing the plants. (because they planted cheap plants).
As always, Carolyn has good advice. The sand cherry looked better as a shrub, but it isn't awful now. Those small balls under it would be best moved and you can then let the sand cherry recover and resume more of its normal shape. I never, never let anyone touch my plants without me standing beside them. They may not appreciate my "interference" but it's a lot better than the alternative (being beaten with a hoe).
First I would never ask a landscaper about anything, they have been trained in one style of controlling plants and that's all they do. The thought of letting nature take it's course turns their blood cold. I would move the 'balls' someplace else (and let them have the life they are meant to have...and it's not round) and let the sand cherry grow the way nature intended it to grow.
Garden_newbie, frankly I think the sand cherry looks terrible now. Tortured. But all is not lost. Trees recover amazingly well. While I agree with others that the planting will be far too crowed in no time, I do love the color contrast between the maroon sand cherry and the chartreuse and green "balls". If you remove the balls, I would look for smaller plantings to keep the foliage contrast. Chartreuse hostas? Green something-or-others?
I would cry if someone did that to one of my shrubs (or maybe I'd react like Marlingardener and beat them with a hoe or shovel!) Also the reason I don't let anyone touch any of my plants/trees/shrubs. I also like the contrast between the chartreuse shrubs below, and there's not much you can do except let the Sandcherry fill back in. I might be tempted to plant some tall Zinnia's or another colorful tall annual there this year to fill in that awkward space left behind them for this year.
Thanks for the replies guys. Sorry for the late reply, I havent had a chance to get my laptop on wifi until now to login. Actually the shrub has already started to grow back. I will post a new pic once I move the balls like you guys suggested. Thanks again.
