pruning Archives - A Way To Garden

topiary’s therapeutic powers, with mike gibson

margaret — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 20:20:33 +0000

WE’RE GOING TO do some pruning, but not the same old straight-forward kind. Instead we’re going to talk topiary, and its transformative powers—not just on the plant that is the subject that’s getting clipped, or on the garden that the living sculpture will eventually adorn, but potentially on the creator, too. Topiary artist Mike Gibson and I talked about the horticulture and the artistry in what he does, and also about the therapeutic properties of making topiary. Mike Gibson has been engaging with plants since his childhood in Ohio. Starting in late 2021, he contributed to the restoration of Pearl Fryar’s famed topiary creations at the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden in South Carolina. Mike now lives in Columbia, S.C., where he operates Gibson Works LLC. He was one of the experts profiled in Amy Stewart’s 2024 book “The Tree Collectors,” has been featured on the HGTV show “Clipped,” and is a popular lecturer and teacher of all things topiary. Read along as you listen to the June 23, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here). […]

The post topiary’s therapeutic powers, with mike gibson appeared first on A Way To Garden.

winter tree care, with basil camu of leaf & limb

margaret — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:13:28 +0000

I MESSAGED to my arborist neighbor the other day to just say, “Happy holidays.” And at the end of my note, I also said this: “See you soon.” Winter may be the quiet season up North here in the garden in general, but it’s when a lot of the pruning work gets done. Arborist Basil Camu of Leaf & Limb tree-care company in Raleigh, N.C., helped me map out a tree care to-do list for the season, including winter pruning and other tasks. Basil is co-founder of Leaf & Limb, and author of the book “From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape” (affiliate link). Leaf & Limb is a very different kind of tree service that doesn’t cut down trees, but instead focuses on tree care through all phases of the plant’s life, emphasizing smart pruning, soil care, and more. Plus: Comment in the box near the bottom of the page to enter to win a signed copy of his book. Read along as you listen to the Jan. 6, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts […]

The post winter tree care, with basil camu of leaf & limb appeared first on A Way To Garden.

supporting our trees, all their lives long, with basil camu

margaret — Sat, 25 May 2024 20:02:26 +0000

MOST PEOPLE call in an arborist when they think it’s time for a tree to be removed, a costly process both financially and environmentally, since trees are critical drivers of diversity. Today’s guest runs a tree-care company and also a tree-focused nonprofit that emphasize other services instead of removals, advocating for the planting of young trees, for caring for our trees with smart structural pruning, and regular inspections to get to know them better and stay ahead of any problems, and for thoughtful support of dead and dying trees as important forever members of our ecosystems. Basil Camu is co-founder of Leaf & Limb tree care company in Raleigh, N.C., and author of the new book, “From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape.” Leaf & Limb is a very different kind of tree service that doesn’t do take-downs, and instead focuses on tree care through all phases of life, our subject today. Plus: Comment in the box near the bottom of the page to enter to win a signed hardcover copy of his book. (The e-book version is free, and can be downloaded at this link.) Read along as you listen to […]

The post supporting our trees, all their lives long, with basil camu appeared first on A Way To Garden.