This story began in spring when I noticed that there were only a few lilac blooms on our bush. Then a few weeks ago – on a lazy Saturday afternoon – we were watching RFD TV, when a gardener was demonstrating how to prune a lilac bush.

As we listened to him talk about lilac bushes and how to keep them healthy and blooming, I thought, “So that is probably why there were only a few, rather sickly blooms this year.” It has probably been 15 or 20 years since I pruned the bush. (I should have know better.)

I can hear my orchard friends (Sam Rittenhouse and Marv Shenk) saying, “Doris. Yes, you should have known better.” 🙂

This is what the lilac bush looked like before I started on Tuesday, July 14.

When I watched the RFD TV man trim his two bushes, he trimmed one back just slightly and for the other he used a chain saw, taking it almost to the ground. He said both will look similar in about 3 years. I chose the second method – because it had been so long since I worked on it – and it seemed the easiest thing to do right now.

I learned two things: We now have five lilac bushes – and I found the property post. When only family lived in our four acre woodlot, we just kind of knew where the property lines were as they are all in the woodsy part of our three lots. Cerwin painted it red so we remember where it is if the owner behind us needs to know.

On Saturday, July 18, we decided to tackle the flower bed in the middle of our driveway. We do this every year when the daisies are finished blooming. Cerwin gets the hedge trimmer and cuts them, the daylilies and Hosta to the ground.

It may not be the correct thing to do, but everything will grow out in a few weeks and the Hosta and daylilies will look pretty – and even bloom again. It is easier than just cutting off the dead and ugly leaves.