Thanks, your awesome! Any pros or cons about Vinca major?

It can be an aggressive spreader and even invasive under certain conditions and locations.

Thank you garden gal, I killed some of it back but leaving it to grow on corners and a few rock gardens I have here. I think I’ll let it spread a bit here and there and see what happens. I also was told this next picture was a Quincy (?). No thorns though? I should have cut it back last fall, you think? But now it’s blooming and the pictures I found on google looked like taller fuller bushes, do you think mine will eventually become fuller? Straggly now.

A flowering quince or Chaenomeles species. There are lots of different kinds, some smaller growing than others, but most do have the ability to grow into a good sized shrub. And a few do not produce thorns but I would expect to see some with more size and age.

And, lol, on the other side of the house I have this? Can I trim this down and back now before spring is around the corner? Or let it go/grow and cut back next fall?

That is Malvaviscus Drummond aka Turks Cap. Here in GA it should be cut back to the ground by now and will re-sprout in March. It flowers in the summer and hummingbirds love it. Don't know where you are, so cannot advise about whether you should cut it back.

North central texas

Zone 8a-8b

Regarding the Chaenomeles. Think it through. If you'd cut it back last fall where would those flowers have come from?

Gotcha! Is this a bush that needs cutting back? Maybe not?

The Chaenomeles?

I might mean ever, so to speak like some? The flowers are so beautiful. It’s still cold here but I have been starting to get out and clean up some of these old beds. Finding all kinds of surprises. Flowers are my favorite thing in the world. In July August we go down the back roads and cut purple thistle for my dining table centerpiece. Can’t wait!! And I am such a beginner, but really want to get some rose bushes this year. This pic was last year (purple thistle). Was trying to find climbing roses for mostly shade, but have to go to our local nursery.

Chaenomeles planted where it has enough space needs very little pruning, other than occasionally, ie every few years, removing some of the older stems from the base. Against a wall, like yours is, you might want to keep it back flat against the wall. Or not, depends on your space. Look out for the perfumed yellow fruit in due course.

Is the perfumed yellow fruit bad?

Bad? In what way?

jelly can be made out of quince ... some are better than others ... the plants and sweetness i mean

with the 25 pounds of sugar.. its a nice jelly .. lol ... i dont know about enjoying a bite out of one though .... lol ...

you can always do this.. if you want ideas about the future: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=Chaenomele&iax=images&ia=images

scroll down to see potential sizes ... flower color is variable.. if we could ID to the second latin name... you would get better pix ... unless there are dwarf varieties .... they are not a small plant ... as with any fruit production plant.. pruning timing is imperative ... and with such... its not really something you want to shear often ...as that might interfere with fruit production ...

it should probably be moved in the proper season ... if you have a space for it... it would probably favor full sun... for best fruit production ... if thats your goal ...

ken

Now that you all have given me important facts about my quince, I believe this may be a dwarf? We have lived here for 5 years with it and it’s only about 2 feet if you bunched it and measured height. But the color of the flowers are so beautiful!!!! It is on the East side of the house

If you research it use the botanical name Chaenomeles. If you simply call it Quince you'll find information on true quinces, Cydonia. Yours is flowering or ornamental quince, not the same thing at all. Chaenomeles is not grown for fruit production per se but the fruit can be used.

btw jelly made from Chaenomeles needs no more sugar than any other jelly. 1pt of juice to 1lb of sugar. Ken is attached to this myth but I suspect he's never made Chaenomeles jelly. Or Cydonia, for that matter.

I am in the Austin area and I see quince blooming in the spring but ,to my knowledge< I have never seen any fruit on them . Maybe the dry summer heat does them in.

That is a lot of sugar! Lmao, mine is probably as you mentioned ornamental. Sure is a pretty color, I’ll let it grow and enjoy. The color reminds me of Pantone living coral, huh?

Close, lol

That amount of sugar is the normal proportion for any regular fruit jam or jelly. It may sound a lot but any traditional jelly has the same amount. It's no greater for Chaenomeles. Yours isn't 'probably ' ornamental. It's definitely ornamental. The fruit are a sideshow. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/apr/08/plant-of-the-week-japanese-quince-chaenomeles

Also, the ornamental quinces are not necessarily heavy fruit producers. I have grown various ones over the years and if they produced any fruit at all, it was surprise. A couple per season at most. But then mine were not large, long established shrubs.

Great info, thank you garden gal, appreciate you coming on. I just bought a mammoth elephant ear bulb, it is HUGE!!!

Crimson 'n Gold is said to be one of the best fruiters in the article I linked to. It's the one I have. Fruit can reach the size of a mandarin orange. Mine doesn't produce a lot because it's not a huge plant but I do add them to apples for cooking.