I have always wondered where this term came from. One morning I decided to look for the reason. There seem to be a couple of possibilities, according to the almanac. One refers to the green algae which tend to grow on the outside of earthenware pots. When you pick it up your fingers get green. Another theory believes it started in the reign of King Edward I. King Edward I loved his green peas so much he had 6 serfs shelling them during the season. The serf who had the greenest thumb won a prize. I prefer the first theory since I cannot relate to having serfs shell my peas.

I love gardening and always have. I usually take the same approach to everything I grow. I water, talk to the plants, add coffee grounds to those which like the acid, and remove anything looking dead. My gardening does work; however, I rarely prune. I decided to learn how to prune.

My roses are beautiful and bloom throughout the season. I have branches all over the place though. As I research the information needed to prune, I discover I am a little past the pruning time for roses. When the forsythias begin blooming (yellow) in the early spring is when the pruning season starts. The season can run through August for roses. Since I have passed the time for this year, I will just focus on cutting off the dead branches until spring. Once spring arrives, I will then prune off any diseased branches, cross branches, and above the outward-facing blooms.

In the meantime, I will work on what can be pruned in the fall. I have a lot of trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses. This is the recommended time for pruning. I will also close out my deck garden for the season and prep it for next year.