�@Satsuki and Bonsai in Mack's Garden

Pruning of our garden trees

I would like to introduce the details about pruning of our garden trees. I think the trees in Japanese good gardens which had been built since 1500s were the basic models of our bonsai. We would like to keep the styles of trees in the garden as neat as possible. And we have to cut them lest they should give the serious damage to everything when we have a very big typhoon. Besides I have to prune some of them in the early summer. If I don't do so, I have to give them a lot of water after the rainy season.

But it is a fact that they aren't bonsai, and for example, some of pine trees are so tall that gardeners cannot take very good care of them, and they have to been paid a lot of money even for one of them because they have to build the big structure to secure their bodies when they are forced to prune it precisely. Perhaps they may be a part of nature because they are planted in the earth.

Fortunately I don't have very tall trees in the garden, but I have to prune a lo of trees by myself. Therefore the tools which I need are a 3.6 m ladder, a 1.8 m ladder, a cutter for high branches, a hand saw, a hand electric trimmer, a branch cutter and 2 pairs of scissors. Though it takes me a lot of hours to prune a lot of satsuki trees in the garden, it takes me only a half day to prune even the tallest tree (Ilex and Crape myrtle).

I took these photos before and after pruning the trees in our garden on 23rd July.

Ume (left), Podocarp (Japanese yew) (centre), Box (right). I already pruned Ume after we had plucked all fruits to make them pickles on July 11th 2011, and Podocarp and Box in July 2010.

Podocarp. I pruned this tree, using a hand electric trimmer. After that using a pair of scissors, I removed some branches and kept other branches in good shapes. Though this top is good, as each branch is a little bit short, I would like to make them longer.

Holly which has round leaves and doesn't have any prickles on the leaves. I pruned this tree in December 2010, using a hand electric trimmer, a branch cutter and a pair of scissors.

Ternstroemia gymnanthera. It is said in Japan that we have to plant three kinds of trees, this tree, Ilex and Fragrant olive. I pruned it and removed some branches in July 2010, using a hand electric trimmer, a branch cutter and a pair of scissors.

Holly (left), Camellia (centre), Ternstroemia gymnanthera (right). The top and bottom branches of Holly are still weak. But Ternstroemia gymnanthera is a completed garden tree now.

Camellia. I pruned this tree in July 2010.

I think I had better prune it drastically like this pruning once per three years.

Ilex. I pruned this tree in December 2010.

As this tree was very tall, it was very dangerous for me to prune its top and long branches. Therefore I cut the trunk and branches short several years ago. Now it is a little more than 4 metres tall.