Pruning Shrubs

[Robinia]

Have any of you lovely gardeners hard pruned, into old thick wood, any of the following shrubs and had them live to see another year?!!  I read all the books but there's so much conflicting advice when it comes to renovation pruning.

Olearia haastii (Daisy bush)

Lonicera fragrantissima (winter honeysuckle - think this one will be ok)

Cotinus (smoke Bush).

[woofgang]

Yes, I have given cotinus a good old seeing to and seen it survive. If the plant is a really treasured one, try taking out one old branch each year. The plant will look a bit lopsided, but it does improve the chances of it surviving. I have no experience of lonicera as mine is too new to need pruning, but I think that they are pretty tough. Don't know about the olearia

[Robinia]

That was quick - thanks woofgang.  Look out cotinus (affectionately known here as 'fag ash lil') I'm on my way with the loppers!

[Robinia]

put a cork in it matey, we've got visitors coming...
http://i56.tinypic.com/2m77uol.jpg

Welcome all, sorry I haven't had time to slap a bit of ronseal around the place. Please feel free to grab a brush.

http://i.pbase.com/g1...13764222.7KHOM2L6.jpg

I 'spect we'll still be in it in a couple of weeks so I thought we could have a royal wedding garden party, I've got some sausage rolls & babycham left over from xmas.

[woofgang]

Waves secateurs.....hi there all.....oooooh babycham......got any brandy?

[netibiza]

THank you robi, its all about gardens with you lot. Primark or Matalan would be nice for a change.

[Robinia]

by 'eck, you two are quick off the mark....woofy we'll have to wait til jno gets in with the duty free brandy.

well neti, you ask the questions and we'll be there

[netibiza]

Question 1, " when can you all come and sort out my scrubby land and turn it into a delight" FOR FREE!!!

[Robinia]

erm...that'll be never
no neti, not gardening Q's ya plonker...Primark & Matalan

I love Percy pig shaney haha, bring him in here.

[shaneystar2]

Here you are then Robinia :)
http://i51.tinypic.com/2mxjvwi.jpg

Black as yer hat here now and spitting with rain .
I suppose that's it then for this year :)

[Robinia]

haha, he's so sweet. Some of my garden oddities are so weathered it would need one of those computer images of 'how it may have looked' to identify them :o)

[woofgang]

early nights all round tonight....sweet dreams all.

[netibiza]

I'm still busy chatting to Ballet of Moscu on FB, they even call me by my name now!!

[netibiza]

http://i52.tinypic.com/2rf30hy.jpg

Little village where we had lunch yesterday, in the lovely heat, still persisting here!!

[Robinia]

well get a load of you Darcey Bustswell....

night night woofy, mind the bed bugs...

[Jude123]

Goodnight Biddyfirends. Self-nursing duties done UGH!!
Sleep tight off to watch Waking the Dead - then bed.
See yer tomorrah begorrah!! (That's me Irish Ancestry coming out)

[netibiza]

Night night woofy, night night jude, night night robi, night night shaney, night night jno ,night night lottie, night night dolly, and night night johnboy!

[LoftyLottie]

Well seeing as they have all gone to bed, I might has well do the same. I have had a simply excellent day in Norwich in lovely hot weather and will tell you all about it tomorrow.

(The weather changed at about 4.30pm to cold, windy and wet!! but we were almost home by then)


Night night everybody.

xxxxx

[jno]

another pluperfect day in paradise here, sun hammering down on the garden. All would be wonderful except for another attack of the rrhoids, so the doctor's given me some wax candles to, er, sit on and the number of a colorectalolologist I'm going to see on Friday as I do not wish to circumnavigate the globe bleeding all the way. Fingers (etc) crossed.

[netibiza]

Morning all, lovely and sunny here again, am still in bed as the stupid cat was in and out all night which means I'm up and down letting her in through the window and then out through the front door several times. Now she's sleeping like a log on my feet in bed.

Poor jno, also suffering from heaps, my sympathies to all heap sufferers, they are dreadful!

Glad you had a good day out lottie.

[woofgang]

Morning all.... Jno DO NOT light the candles first this is important. Bright chilly day here. Dogs to vets today for their vacs, don't need Moscow Ballet, this will be full enough of high drama and leaping about.