A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Should I trim my shrubs?

If yes, any suggestion of what tool to buy and from where?

it doesn't matter so much where you buy as what you buy. you will want several different tools. a pair of by-pass pruners, some shrubery shears, for the large hedges, i have electric hedge trimmers, some anvil pruner/snippers, and a good pair of loppers.

get the one you need first (if pruning the shrub is your first priority, get either the shrubbery shears or hedge trimmers, depending on how much you want to spend). the others can be bought a little at the time.

as for as to whether to trim, that is up to you and how high and geometric you want the shrubs.

Find out what kind they are first. I can't tell and don't know much about shrubs to begin with. But some produce winter berries for birds so you need to check out what you have and what to do with that kind of shrub first. You could maybe put the picture down in mystery plants to get an id. And then go from there. when you do prune if it is possible I would clean up the bottom so that weeding, mulching, fertilizing and all is easier. But many people prefer the shrubs to be full all the way to the ground. I guess it's just what you like. I like the gardening to be easy lol.

Those look like rhododendrons to me, don't prune at all or you'll lose next spring's blooms.