Pruning the Hedera of 'Gloire de Marengo'

Tues 19th March
Weather: The winds had finally abated today which made 6 or 7°C not so cold.

Last Friday I had begun pruning the dome of Hedera algeriensis 'Gloire de Marengo' - a handsome variegated ivy. It is at these moment that you feel that part of being a gardener is giving haircuts on a bigger scale. I was told by one of the other gardeners that this was one of the harder levels of pruning. The aim of it was to diminish the size substantially and to cut out any overtly long pieces or leaves that had reverted to its species form.

Haircut 2

Thurs 21st & Mon 25th Mar
I thought I had finished pruning but Fergus wanted it even shorter and for more 'holes' to be made into it. The reasoning was, he explained to me, was so that more light can reach the middle of the bush, and for growth to happen more from the inside. This would help keep the shape better for longer and retain it for 15 years instead of 5. Any long lanky green stems would just go woody by the next year, so it was good to cut a stem back to just before it started to go brown, but not too far back to cause it to revert. He said that this may mean that it might look like 'what on earth have you done to the plant', but it was more beneficial for it.