Ornamental Pruning Program
What Is Ornamental Pruning?
Ornamental pruning is the careful trimming and shaping of shrubs, hedges, and small trees to improve their health, appearance, and growth. Our trained crews remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches to allow better airflow and sunlight. Unlike basic hedge trimming, ornamental pruning follows each plant’s natural growth pattern. We use the right cuts at the right places to encourage strong, healthy structure. Whether your shrubs need light shaping or a full restoration cut, our team has the training to do it right. We treat every plant as an individual, not just a shape to cut back. The result is healthier, better-looking plants that thrive season after season.
Shrubs and Plants We Prune
Our ornamental pruning service covers a wide range of shrubs and ornamental plants. From small foundation shrubs to large multi-stemmed specimens, we handle it all. Common plants we prune include hollies, gardenias, loropetalums, Indian hawthorns, knockout roses, boxwoods, nandinas, camellias, and many more. We also prune crepe myrtles using proper selective pruning techniques — never topping. Our program includes small limb removal on trees under two to three inches in diameter when accessible with standard ladders. If you are unsure whether a plant is included, just ask. We will assess your landscape and let you know exactly what we can service during your visit.
The Right Time to Prune
Timing matters when it comes to pruning. Cutting at the wrong time can reduce flowering or stress a plant. Spring-blooming shrubs like azaleas should be pruned right after they finish flowering. Summer-blooming plants like crepe myrtles and butterfly bushes are best pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Evergreens can be pruned during most of the year, while deciduous shrubs are best shaped in late winter while still dormant. Our team understands the needs of each plant type and schedules work accordingly. We will not cut your spring bloomers at the wrong time and cost you a full season of flowers.
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Crepe Myrtle Pruning Done Right
Crepe myrtles are one of the most commonly mistreated plants in the landscape. Topping — cutting the main branches down to stubs — is called crepe murder for good reason. It damages the tree’s structure, creates weak regrowth, and ruins its natural form. Our team uses proper selective pruning instead. We remove crossing or crowded branches, trim tips lightly if needed, and preserve the tree’s graceful shape. This approach encourages healthy flowering, strong branching structure, and long-term beauty. If your crepe myrtles have been topped in the past, we can also help restore them over time with corrective pruning. We never top crepe myrtles — period.
What Is Included in Every Service
Every ornamental pruning visit includes debris cleanup and disposal at no extra charge. We haul away all branches, trimmings, and clippings we generate — you will not be left with a pile of brush in your yard. Our crew arrives with the tools and equipment needed to do the job efficiently and safely. We evaluate each plant before cutting to plan the best approach. After the work is done, we do a final walkthrough to make sure everything looks clean and professional. There are no hidden fees for debris removal. What you see on your estimate is what you pay, as long as the scope of work does not change on service day.
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Services Not Included
Our ornamental pruning program focuses on shrubs, ornamental plants, crepe myrtles, and small accessible limbs. We do not perform major limb removal on large trees, hazardous tree work, stump grinding, or root pruning. We also do not handle plant installation or removal, large tree removal, or pest and disease treatments. Storm damage cleanup and regular hedge trimming maintenance programs are separate services. If you need work that falls outside our scope, we are happy to let you know during the estimate process so you can find the right contractor. We believe in being upfront about what we do and do not do so there are no surprises on service day.
Scheduling and Availability
We offer ornamental pruning year-round, so you are never locked into a single season to get the work done. One-time visits and ongoing seasonal maintenance schedules are both available. If you would like to stay on a regular pruning program to keep your landscape looking sharp throughout the year, we can set that up for you. For customers who need to reschedule, the first change is complimentary. A $50 rescheduling fee applies after two or more customer-requested changes. We understand that schedules shift, and we try to be flexible. Our goal is to make the process as smooth as possible from your first call to the final cleanup.
Weather and Safety Standards
We take weather conditions seriously for the safety of our crew and the health of your plants. We do not work in winds over fifteen to twenty miles per hour, during rain, or when heavy rain is expected within two hours of the scheduled service. Extreme heat above 95 degrees Fahrenheit and freezing temperatures below 28 degrees are also cause for rescheduling. Lightning is an automatic stop-work condition. If weather forces a reschedule, there is no fee — we simply move the appointment to the next available date. These standards exist to protect both your landscape and our team. We would rather wait for safe conditions than rush a job in risky weather.