It’s April and we’re back in action! Spring garden cleanups are underway, and we’re very happy to be getting on with some garden projects, too. I’m reminded, every year, that there is one shrub that gives us a magnificent display in April and it’s the Forsythia.

Forsythia puts that “Spring is Here” smile on our faces, every spring. You’ll see them growing naturally in along fencelines, in ditches, on the edge of forests, and of course we often plant many varieties of them in our garden. Watch out for a blaze of yellow flowers, long before anything else starts to bloom.

This is a shrub that can easily get out of control if not maintained. The only time of year to prune a Forsythia is as soon as the flowers start to fade.  Pruning in the summer will reduce its flowering display the following year.

Cut out the oldest growth, at ground level. The younger growth will flower more profusely, and cutting out the older growth is healthy for the shrub. It will also allow more light to get into the centre.  Feel free to shape the shrub as you wish; you can be quite aggressive when pruning a Forsythia.