Do not give shrubs a bad haircut.

• Position: Gardening

There is nothing worse than a bad haircut. The one thing you cannot do with a bad haircut is uncut it, so you just have to wait for it to grow out before you can fix it. That is how gardening specialist Carol Chernega views the art and science of pruning a shrub. If you trim it the wrong way, you only are compounding your problems, but learning the right way is not nearly as difficult as going to cosmetology school.

"Instead of giving your shrubs a bad haircut, it's actually very simple to give them a day at the spa, instead," declares Chernega, producer of the DVD, "Pruning Shrubs With Your Personal Gardener." Her tips on pruning might not only change your style, but help transform your garden and landscaping, as well.

"For me, it would be a perfect world if pruning shears came with instructions. Just because one has a pair of scissors, it does not necessarily follow that you know how to give a good haircut. Just because you have a pair of hedge trimmers does not mean you know how to prune a shrub, although the basics are actually very easy to learn."

Before making that first cut, look carefully at the garden so you know what you are going to be pruning. Use the Internet to identify the bushes you do not already recognize. You want to learn how the shrub should look so you can prune it to maintain that natural shape.

Always cut back to a bud or branch point. Never leave a long stub, which not only will look...