More than a quick trim

We prune to the plant, then clean up spent blooms and visible weeds.

Hand pruning of all ornamental shrubs to natural habit and proper proportion
Removal of dead, damaged, crossing, or inward-growing branches
Structural thinning to improve airflow and light penetration to the interior
Deadheading and cleanup of spent perennial blooms where it sharpens the look of the bed
Detail weeding through garden beds so the finished result reads cleaner from the street
All clippings and debris collected and hauled off the property

Our Approach

Pruned to the plant, not to a template

Box hedges and geometric topiary have their place, but most residential landscapes benefit from shrubs shaped to their natural habit. A viburnum should look like a viburnum. A spirea should arch. An arborvitae should taper.

Forcing plants into shapes that fight their natural growth requires constant intervention and often weakens the plant over time. We prune for health first and appearance second, and the results usually look better because of that.

Typical visit: 2 to 5 hours

Best timing: late spring or early summer after bloom

The difference between designed and overgrown

Better plant health over time

Proper pruning removes disease entry points, improves airflow that prevents fungal issues, and channels the plant's energy into healthy growth rather than maintaining crowded or dead wood. Deadheading and detail weeding help the beds stay visually sharp between larger maintenance visits.

Restores the design intent

Every shrub in your yard was placed for a reason. Pruning back to appropriate scale and proportion restores the visual relationships between plants, architecture, and paths that make a landscape feel designed.

Keeps plants in their space

Shrubs that encroach on walkways, windows, or the foundation create practical problems and visual clutter. Regular pruning, bloom cleanup, and light weeding keep your landscape maintainable and your home's exterior visible.

See Ballpark Pricing

Select the planted bed area that needs pruning and detail work for an instant price range. Your official quote follows a free on-site visit, with no obligation.

How much planted bed area needs pruning and detail work?

Walk-around, pruning, cleanup

We assess before we cut

We walk the property and identify each shrub's species, health status, and appropriate form before making a single cut. Pruning decisions are made plant by plant.

Prune and clean the details

We use bypass pruners and loppers for clean cuts that heal well, then handle deadheading and detail weeding where it improves the overall finish of the beds. We do not rely on quick hedging shortcuts that look wrong and harm the plant.

Debris removal included

All clippings are collected and hauled off your property. You get the result without having to manage the cleanup.

Pruning FAQ

When is the best time to prune shrubs in Minnesota?

Timing depends on the shrub. Spring bloomers like lilac, forsythia, and spirea should be pruned immediately after bloom so you do not remove the next year's flower buds. Summer bloomers and most evergreen shrubs can be pruned in late spring or early summer. In general, avoid heavy pruning in late summer or fall, because it can stimulate new growth that will not harden off before winter.

Can you reduce the size of a shrub significantly?

Significant size reduction is possible but should be done carefully and sometimes in stages over multiple seasons. Removing more than one-third of a shrub's volume in a single season can stress the plant. If you have overgrown foundation shrubs that need to come back substantially, we will walk you through a realistic multi-season approach during your estimate.

Do you prune evergreens differently than deciduous shrubs?

Yes. Evergreen shrubs like arborvitae, spruce, and yew respond differently to pruning than deciduous plants. Arborvitae in particular cannot be cut back into old, bare wood, because it will not regenerate. We approach evergreens with this in mind and set realistic expectations during the initial walk-around if a plant has grown beyond what pruning can fix.

Is this different from what's included in a maintenance plan?

Light pruning, deadheading, and basic weeding are included in our maintenance plans during seasonal visits. A dedicated visit like this is the better fit when you have more shrubs, more overgrowth, or more detail work than a routine maintenance stop is built to handle. We can advise once we see your property.

Pruning & Bed Detail