Pruning Note from Andrea Kowaleski I took this photo as an example of the after picture of what pruning can do for a Cornus amomum. Jeanette Gilmore and Carol Swomley did a fantastic job of trimming back and opening the silky dogwoods.  Because I am so pruning impaired, the initial shock of this transformation surprised me. But I am changing ever so slowly and hopefully  can do this type of pruning in the future. This information can be used as a springboard for other master gardeners when their trees and shrubs need pruning.

A Plant I Regret Planting.......Nancy Lewis Eupatorium coelestinum ‘Cori’ or Hardy Ageratum  (recently remnamed conoclinium'Cori') About 5 years ago I purchased 12 plants from a famous Connecticut mail order nursery.   The plant was Eupatorium ‘Cori’.   I was looking for autumn color since it is often a slow time for flowers in the garden.     Their ad copy stated “plants spread quickly by underground rhizomes so choose a site for yours accordingly”.  I planted it in a space backing up to the woods in a mixed garden with monkshood, tall phlox and iris.   It did bloom beautifully in the fall with lovely, Ageratum blue flowers, but is started to overrun everything.    To get rid of it I have pulled and pulled and it is still coming up.  I finally started moving the phlox and iris to other beds so that I could put newspaper down underneath my mulch to smother it.   I have a few plants of it this year.   This is a plant I would never put in our plant sale.  An unsuspecting novice gardener might put it in the wrong place.   It would be beautiful in a bed of daffodils or tulips.   It is late to rise in the spring and it would cover the dying foliage of your spring bulbs.