(This blog post is a follow up on an earlier post you can read here.)
Pruning specifications
Now, it’s normal for landscape professionals to receive pruning specifications. Follow them and you get paid; ignore them and there might be trouble. I know all this so when I was asked by a multi-family complex to reduce their rhododendron shrubs by half, I was all in.
It’s common for shrubs to outgrow their spaces and in this case, the rhododendrons were starting to get out of hand. Obviously, a fifty percent reduction will lead to some big, noticeable cuts; but if you have rough-barked species, they should recover nicely. This is thanks to “latent” buds hiding under the bark.
When you make drastic cuts above, the latent buds pop out and green up the shrub. It just so happened that the local certified “Karen” had the biggest specimen. Which meant that the cuts would be more noticeable. And they were, temporarily. Just my luck.
Street riot
As I continued pruning, I heard wailing in the street over my headset. So I stopped to see what was happening. And I will never forget what I saw: four women of a certain age, crying crocodile tears in the street. “What have you done?”, “The rhododendrons are ruined.” Jesus! Was this for real? Sadly, it was.
Now, with sharp tools in my hands I felt pretty confident I could take on a mob of elderly women. I slowly walked over to explain the specifications I had to follow, and the expected recovery of the shrubs. It didn’t help. When “Karens” get going, it’s not a pretty sight.
Recent follow up
I’m happy to report that months later all is well. The shrubs greened up and set their buds for summer 2026. They will get pruned again soon after flowering but lightly. Until then we ignore them, except perhaps for a few branches that kiss the ground. Those can be removed anytime to give the shrubs a better appearance.
Bonus
Incredibly, the mother of one of the residents loved her son’s rhododendron shrub. She referred to my pruning in a text message as “lovely”. That’s more like it! Now she wants me to prune the rhododendrons at her house but she has to wait. The buds are already set for next year so pruning now would remove next year’s flowers. As soon as her rhododendrons flower, we’ll reduce them by one third or one half.
Conclusion
You can expect things to go wrong, no matter where you work. I’m happy I remained calm even after my pruning caused a street riot. I doubt I will forget this day. Months later, I can laugh about it and squeeze new content out of it.
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