Your lawn and yard may be in great shape already, but what if you want to make it stand out to be eye-catching art? Having manicured and shaped bushes outside your home or business may be the perfect way to add a little personality and fun to your property’s landscaping. However, just like anything else, there is a certain process that must be followed to ensure that you get the results that you desire. Before you know it, every passerby on the street will be looking towards your lawn.

1.  The first step is to select a young bush that you want to shape. If you don’t already have one in your yard, you can easily purchase one at your local gardening store. As soon as it reaches 2 feet tall, you will have to prune it into a square or an oval to start getting it ready for artfully shaping it.

2. Once you know what shape or figure you want your bush to evolve into, create the design out of chicken wire. Bend it the frame into the shape or design of your choice, and do this near the bush this will be for so that you get the sizing correct. The chicken wire frame has to be big enough to just put over the bush itself, and if you are going for an animal shape or something nonconventional you will need to leave some space on top for the bush to grow into. Over time as it grows, it will need to be stable enough to sustain the extra length and width of the bush. If the bottom won’t naturally be stable, your best option is to stake it down into the ground.

3. You are going to want to get a pair of pruning shears to help the bush keep your desired shape over time. Whenever you see the bush growing beyond the frame you have put it in, trim off the excess branches. If it still hasn’t gotten to the stage yet, use your best judgment to trim off sticks and small branches that seem to be going astray from the rest of the bush. Using this technique will get you the best results. Also, keep in mind you will need to check for dead branches inside the bush to cut off. Pruning frequently will help your bush grow healthier and faster in the long run. With that being said, it is also important to know that if you prune too much it can ruin the shape that you are trying to produce.

4. During the high time growing seasons, be sure to prune your bush at least once a month to help it keep its shape. The main seasons that would be most important for this are May, June, July, August and September because that is when there is the most available sunlight. Also, have some patience with your shaped bush. In order for it to be fully shaped and lush, it may take up to two or three good growing seasons to reach that point. It would also be a good idea to keep fertilizing your bush so that it can maintain its health, as well as doing what you can to help it survive the winter months without too much damage. However, rest assured that once spring makes its way back around your bush will be well on its way to being green, full and hearty again.

Written by Clark Jones, owner of Tree Frog Complete Grounds Maintenance. Tree Frog is the best company for landscaping Columbia MO has to offer.