Gardens and beds gone wild!
It doesn’t take long, maybe 5 to 10 years, for arborvitae, rhododendrons, lilacs, golden rod to take over the front garden bed. It’s important to trim them back every other year by a good foot or so. Take a good look at what you have. If the theme is informal, then using hand shears will allow you to keep a nice casual shape, encouraging some shrubs to cascade one layer over the other.
For an existing series of shrubs trimmed with precision, the trimming can be done with hedge clippers or an electric trimmer. I usually stand back about 15 feet, eye up what is there and imagine how I’d like it to look. Go in at the top, if not too high already, and take down a section by 10 to 12 inches. Step back and see how that looks. If you’re satisfied, then use that area as your gauge so you don’t over clip one area. Cutting from one side to the other or front to back gives you good markings for completing the rest of the trim.
If your shrubs are more than 2 feet taller than you are, I’d suggest getting some help from someone to either steady a ladder while you work, or hiring a professional. Once you’ve finished your trimming, combine some fertilizer with some top soil and add generously around the shrubs. Then add some mulch if you like.
