You truly know spring is here when the yellow blooms of the forsythia appear.  They seem to be everywhere – in yards, hedges and along the highway.  Once the blooms are done, they are covered with lovely green foliage that makes an attractive hedge or shrub – in whatever size you choose up to ten feet in any direction.

 Keep in  mind that the trimming required for a neatly shaped hedge will require cutting off new growth that produces flowers in the spring.

 A huge bonus for us in northern New Jersey is that this shrub is deer-resistant.

 These hardy plants can spread to anywhere their branches touch the ground but they are relatively easy to control.  Prune a few of the old wood branches down to about 4 inches, leaving last year’s new branches intact.  If you cut these, you may be cutting off the new crop of blossoms.

 The Forsythia is named after William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist who was royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.  Forsythia was first “discovered” in Japan and imported into Holland.  It seems strange to think that it was considered a rarity when these days, some consider it almost a weed due to its habit of spreading.

 Consider this for your yard.  For a particularly spectacular variety, check out Proven Winner’s Show Off®