CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! Welcome to my weekly series! THE LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs ASKI Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 26 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Hi Linda, I have these beautiful flowering plants that are now at least 12 feet tall. I'm not sure what they are since they were here when we bought the house. I love the flowers but they need help. They are too overgrown. Can I cut them back now? They flowered in June. Many thanks...Gladys Hi Gladys, I visited your property today. It's beautiful! Your shrub is a Fuzzy Deutzia (Deutzia scabra). It's a beautiful old shrub that cannot be found in nurseries anymore. You are very lucky. As far as pruning, July is the time to prune it. It bloomed in June and it's best to prune after it flowers pass. Regular pruning will not be enough for this shrub, it's too overgrown. Rejuvenation pruning is in order. Take a chain saw and cut back each stem to about 2ft tall. This process of cutting the upper stems will stimulate new shoots to grow from the base of the shrub which will eventually be the new stems for a new shrub. Water it about once a week until the end of August...let the hose run for about 1/2hr at a fast trickle to soak the soil. Fertilize it with Flowertone, just once around the base of the plant. If you want to do this at a slower pace, just cut back 1/3 of the plant to 2' tall. Cut the oldest (biggest), woodiest stems first. Next July remove another 1/3 of the shrub and then the following July cut back the remaining 1/3. After each cutting, water and fertilize as mentioned above. After 3 years, you should have a nice-sized shrub at about half the size it is now. If it was my shrub, I would rejuvenation prune it all at once. Deutzias are tough fast growing shrubs. You will be amazed how fast it will re-sprout. If you would like Sprigs & Twigs to do the pruning, just get in touch with Robin in our office at 860-235-0752. Sprigs &wigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! Welcome to my weekly series ! THE LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs ASKI Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 26 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Hi Linda , I have these beautiful flowering plants that are now at least 12 feet tall . I'm not sure what they are since they were here when we bought the house . I love the flowers but they need help . They are too overgrown . Can I cut them back now ? They flowered in June . Many thanks ... Gladys Hi Gladys , I visited your property today . It's beautiful ! Your shrub is a Fuzzy Deutzia ( Deutzia scabra ) . It's a beautiful old shrub that cannot be found in nurseries anymore . You are very lucky . As far as pruning , July is the time to prune it . It bloomed in June and it's best to prune after it flowers pass . Regular pruning will not be enough for this shrub , it's too overgrown . Rejuvenation pruning is in order . Take a chain saw and cut back each stem to about 2ft tall . This process of cutting the upper stems will stimulate new shoots to grow from the base of the shrub which will eventually be the new stems for a new shrub . Water it about once a week until the end of August ... let the hose run for about 1 / 2hr at a fast trickle to soak the soil . Fertilize it with Flowertone , just once around the base of the plant . If you want to do this at a slower pace , just cut back 1/3 of the plant to 2 ' tall . Cut the oldest ( biggest ) , woodiest stems first . Next July remove another 1/3 of the shrub and then the following July cut back the remaining 1/3 . After each cutting , water and fertilize as mentioned above . After 3 years , you should have a nice - sized shrub at about half the size it is now . If it was my shrub , I would rejuvenation prune it all at once . Deutzias are tough fast growing shrubs . You will be amazed how fast it will re - sprout . If you would like Sprigs & Twigs to do the pruning , just get in touch with Robin in our office at 860-235-0752 . Sprigs & wigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR ! WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET