I cut my Gold Mounds to that height every spring, just before the leaves pop out. It keeps the roots healthy, gives me LOTS of new growth that has the brightest color as bush fills in. My bush will then keep that great color way into summer, before greening out. The bushes are all back to full height as fall comes. I trim in spring, just in case something wants to nibble or breaks off the top during winter. I have not had any problems with this spring trimming. I do the Lime Mounds as well. Those various Spireas are always covered in blooms as they grow back in. No ill-effects from annual shearing at all. Again, I think the spring cutting makes better color and flowering in these short Japanese Spireas. Bloom on new growth. Rabbit saved you some work! I don't trim or remove growth on the White bush, taller type Spirea, because I want the long, flowing branches with flowers on them. They bloom on old wood. Trimming early would take that bloom off, so no flowering that year. I might prune some AFTER bloom time, not before.

A) What variety of tree is it - evergreen or deciduous? B) Where do you live? C) Is the cat alright? If you live somewhere that the trees (and this tree in particular) lose leaves for the winter anyway, it will probably leaf out next spring just fine - it just lost its leaves a bit early this year. Don't let it dry out until then, esp. if in a pot - keep watering it when the soil is dry down an inch or so. If you are somewhere that gets HARD freezes, then protect the pot and roots from freezing over the winter by burying the pot in the ground, surrounding it with dry leaves, or the like. Whatever you do, protect it from mice or bunnies chewing on the bark over the winter.

If rabbits do not eat hostas, it must be some other creature, since my hostas are eaten to the ground, and practically no leaves are left behind. Hawks are awesome! We have some of them flying above - they take my breath away. I am not sure what kind they are red-tailed or what. My husband said he saw the neighbor's cat carrying a baby rabbit few times on our property. I will definately give Liquid Fence a try. Watching my flowers disappear when I do my morning rounds... makes my patience disappear, too. I like these furry creatures, just someplace else far-far away from my garden. Thank you all for the great advice and letting me vent. ~Natalie

It soundsThe squash that withered and died was done in by squash bores. A red wasp like moth lays eggs on the imature plant and then the babies crawl down to the base and bore into the plant and start eating, and eating in side the stem. If you look on the stem you might see frass coming out a hole. Make a lengthwise slit and search for that bugger. There are most likely more. I pile dirt on the damaged stems if I can. Sometimes I can win. Some times not. one can use row covers to keep the moths off the plants and spray with BHT(?) on a weekly regimen. Get the squash in early in the spring. Some people start them inside to get a crop before the moth gets going. Hubbard squash are more resistant than Butternut, I HEAR , don't know for sure.