A fellow garden enthusiast sent me this shot and the following story: These two forsythia bushes used to be HUGE. They were taller than the fence and each was at least six feet wide. It looked horribly overgrown so I cut them down to nothing with the intention of pulling them out. But then I had second thoughts. I gave them some time, and look how perfect they are now? Round and healthy. So, don't just pull the overgrown bushes. Give them a haircut...and create a masterpiece.
--Edward Scissorhands
I love his story, not only because I appreciate a good sense of humor (I am a huge fan of that movie), and I love it when people share their gardening stories with me, but because he highlights a vital component of eco-friendly gardening: recycling rather than replacing plants. No plant loves a makeover more than the forsythia. And although it will behave itself with a bit of care (as you can see from the photo, above), it also loves to stretch its legs and go wild. It's this versatility that makes it a wonderful choice, especially for those looking for a quick-growing, relatively inexpensive privacy hedge. It grows roughly 10-12 feet high.
For anyone who needs a lot of hedging on a really tight budget, here's a handy thing to know about the humble forsythia: its branches drape gracefully to the ground, where the tips that touch the soil sprout new plants (AKA: suckers). Pull these new plants out carefully and replant them wherever you need to put your hedge. You'll have your yard encircled in forsythia in no time. And since they're among the first plants to bloom in spring, they hasten in the warmer weather in puffy clouds of sun-kissed yellow, for a veritable spring fling!
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