Getting crazy with the shears now would result in noticeable lack of flowers during July, August and September. But that still leaves many possible candidates for early summer pruning. Let's concentrate today on a family of trees common to Western Oregon, the conifers. These large trees can be found in many gardens, even smaller suburban gardens. They're gorgeous, but a single untouched mature tree can plunge your entire garden into deep shade.
Early summer is actually an excellent time to prune many conifers.
Topping is the removal of the tree's top third in a misguided attempt to keep it short. If height is ever an issue with any tree, either move it, or cut it down and replant with a more appropriate choice. Outside of choosing dwarf cultivars, nothing is going to keep a standard conifer from reaching its destined height. But these trees can tolerate a fair amount of judicious pruning, especially if you start the process when they're still young. For example, Douglas fir, pine and spruce all respond well to thoughtful thinning.