Boxwoods are popular shrubs for landscaping in the Southern garden. They are slow growers, which means you don't need to prune often to keep them to a desirable size.

Trimming boxwoods or other formal evergreen hedges is best done at least twice a year. You might even need to get the shears out every month for highly formal shapes to maintain a tidy appearance.

In May, gardeners have plenty to do. Among other tasks, they can now prune the following five shrubs. myHOMEBOOK shares tips ...

A basic pruning kit includes three tools ... The traditional technique of using hedge clippers (or a power hedge trimmer) to square off boxwood, cedar, spirea and other hedges has its place ...