ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
Creative Assignment 3 – Your Blog Post Entry About Formal and Informal
Pruned Landscape Shrubs
Pruning in the landscape is arguably one of the most important determinants to whether
landscape shrubs grow healthy, vigorous, and beautiful. But beauty is in the eyes of the
beholder…….
So, for this assignment students are to develop a blog post entry on Blackboard about formal and
informal pruning of shrubs. Each student’s blog post entry must include the following:
Part 1 – Excellent formal pruning of a shrub
Capture an image of you posing next to an excellent example of a formal pruned landscape shrub
using a digital camera or cell phone. Insert this image into your blog post entry. Beneath your image
write a complete paragraph using reasoning given in the videos, presentations and readings as to
why you believe this shrub has been pruned in a formal manner.
Indicate:
1. What specific types of pruning cuts were used to shape the shrub into its beautiful geometric
form.
2. What specific type(s) of pruning tools were used to shape this shrub. You will know this if you
study the presentations and readings. (NOT secateurs)
3. What you think is the geometric form of your formal pruned shrub. Some examples include a
round bowling ball, a loaf of bread, a sea anemone, a beer keg, a space ship, a cupcake, or
an outdoor table.
Part 2 – Excellent informal pruning of a shrub
Capture an image of you posing next to an excellent example of an informal pruned landscape
shrub using a digital camera or cell phone. Insert this image into your blog post entry. Write a
complete paragraph using reasoning given in the videos, presentations and readings as to why
you believe this shrub has been pruned in an informal manner. Indicate:
1. What specific type(s) of pruning cut(s) was used to shape the shrub into its beautiful
natural, informal form.
2. What specific type(s) of pruning tools was used to shape this shrub. You will know this if
you study the presentations and the readings.
BIG NOTE: No pruning does not equal informal pruning!! Your selection must have been artfully
pruned. Do not use palms as examples!!
*Please review and edit your text before submitting. Check for spelling errors, grammar and
punctuation. This is not a text message or Instagram post. Present the information in a well-composed
college-level format.
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ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
BLOG POST STRUCTURE: To receive full credit, your pictures must be sized and inserted into your
blog post and NOT attached as a separate file. If your images are attached and not inserted,
then you will receive an automatic 5 point deduction.
Creative assignment grading rubric
7.5 points
Excellent formal pruning image
7.5 points
Excellent informal pruning image
5 points Written paragraph about your
formal pruned shrub
5 points
Written paragraph about
your informal pruned
Some common point deductions
-5 for each image with a broken link and not visible to instructor (download from computer, no drag
and drop)
-5 for attached photos not inserted into blog
-2 per photo for improperly oriented images (i.e., sideways, upside down) Edit your photos on
computer before inserting.
-5 for yourself not in each image
-2 for ginormous images
-deductions for not answering all of the questions.
Notes:
This assignment is worth 25 points. You must completely finish each section of the
assignment to receive full credit. Partial credit will be given to students who only answer
a part of what is asked for the assignment.
To develop your blog entry do the following……
1. Click the “Blogs” icon on the course main menu,
2. Click on the ‘Creative Assignment 3’ icon.
3. Click on the ‘Pruning Landscape Shrubs’ icon
4. Read my blog post as an example of what your blog post may look like
when you’re done.
5. Click on the ‘Create blog entry’ that is directly above my blog post.
6. You can now use the text editor box to type in your blog entry. You will insert your images into
this text box.
7. Click on ‘Submit’ once you are finished with your blog post.
8. The blog posts of others in the class will be listed in a column to the right of
your blog post. .
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ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
How to insert your image into your blog post:
1. Click on the small ‘Attach image’ icon on the text editor tool bar. It’s the
second icon from the left on the lowest row of icons above the text editor
box space.
2. A second insert image box will appear on your screen. In that box click on the
‘Browse My Computer’ icon and upload your image. DO NOT DRAG AND
DROP YOUR IMAGE.
3. Once your image is uploaded, make SURE to click on the ‘NO’ button so that
you do not load your image into a separate window. Instead your image will be
directly loaded into your blog at the point where you cursor was when you
started the process of uploading your image.
4. Click on the “Appearances” tab. Enter 400 into the first box and hit tab.
This will properly size your images.
5. Click ‘Submit’
6. Your image will now be placed your blog post.
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ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
Above is my informal shrub, which I found in a parking lot of what seemed to be an abandoned shopping
center in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans. While analyzing this shrub, I noticed that it had features
of what seem to be both heading and thinning cuts. The heading cuts, I would say are probably from
bypass hand held pruners. Whereas the thinning cuts were done by loppers.
Here I have my formal shrub, this one is down the street of my work place. I have noticed that the
landscapers come about every five weeks but I have never really paid much attention to what tools they
use to prune this beautiful shrub. Although the picture does not get the entire shrub, it resembles a loaf
bread, it is long, round at the top and squared off at the bottom. From analyzing this shrub I would have
to say that it used the heading cuts along the outside of the shrub in order to perfectly shape it. I believe
that these cuts are more than likely accomplished by power hedge shears. I waiting until the last minute
to submit this assignment in hopes that I could catch the landscapers in action and see if I could
determine exactly what pruning tool they used.
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