Hedge & Shrub Trimming

Portland-metro landscapes lean heavily on a familiar set of hedging and foundation plants — English laurel, boxwood, arborvitae, and flowering rhododendron and azalea. Each one has a different rhythm. Laurel and privet grow fast through the wet season and need regular shaping to stay in bounds; left alone, a laurel hedge can put on several feet a year. Boxwood and arborvitae grow slower and need a lighter, less frequent touch to keep a clean form.

Rhododendrons and azaleas are the one where timing really matters: they set next year's flower buds shortly after they finish blooming in spring. Prune them right after the bloom fades and you keep the shape without losing next season's flowers; prune them in fall or winter — a common mistake — and you cut off the very buds that were going to bloom. We time every shrub on the property to its own schedule rather than trimming everything on one visit regardless of species.