When should you call in a tree professional, and when can you do the pruning yourself? That and other home landscape issues will be taught in a free public pruning workshop from 10-noon Saturday, Feb. 18, hosted by the St. Mary’s Arboretum Association. You can choose to participate in a beginning pruning session that focuses on either shrubs or trees or an advanced pruning session on trees. Meet at the State House parking lot at Historic St. Mary’s City. See the arboretum website for details.
All lessons will employ on-the-ground, safety-first techniques. You will work on Maryland plant ‘standards,’ such as boxwoods, lilacs, dogwoods, crape myrtles, cherries, oaks, and maples. Rejuvenation pruning will be explored, along with structural pruning.
Justin Mattingly, a certified arborist and licensed tree professional, will conduct the advanced pruning segment and tackle how to remove that perennial pest, ivy. Mary Alves, landscape curator at Historic St. Mary’s City, will lead the beginners’ segment, along with Cheryl Krumke, a master gardener and perennial plant specialist, and Steve Gregory. Mattingly, Krumke, and Gregory are members of the grounds staff at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and lend their expertise routinely to St. Mary’s Arboretum Association endeavors. Kevin Mercer, superintendent of grounds at St. Mary’s College, will be on hand to answer turf questions that may come up as part of the pruning and landscape discussions.
Dress for the weather and bring gloves and pruning tools; there will be some extra tools. This is a hands-on workshop.