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).

[jno]

if you want them growing like the ones in the Abbey, you'll probably need holy water.

[Jude123]

Pardon my ignorance but who the devil is Sam Cam.
I thought it was a lovely wedding of two lovely people. I'm not really a royalist but I do admire the queen and all her loyalty and work over the years and I'm sure all the pageantry brings the cash in to the country.I think William has all his mother's kind and generous ways and Kate suits him down to the ground. Her dress was beautiful and it definitely said 'I'm not Diana' and William told her she looked beautiful when he first saw her didn't he. I really hope it lasts for them.
Hope you've all had a good day. It's not rained here but it is windy and a bit on the cool side. I'm off out tonight for the first time for ages on a Friday to my local haunt.
Not really in the mood but neighbour wants to go and I've been in all day.
Have a good weekend everyone

By the way- A Happy belated Birthday Wish Lottie. I hope you had a lovely day.
Great gardens you and Robi have.

See yer later 'gater(s)

[jno]

this was sam cam

http://resources3.new...47/146239-sam-cam.jpg

would be none the worse for a little fascinator, I think; but then Veronica Beckham was none the better for it.

[jno]

Samantha Cermon, the PM's wife.

Do you really need an Aston Martin to get from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House? They're maybe 100 yards apart... though okay, the streets were quite crowded today.

[jno]

Cermon???


Cameron

[woofgang]

I think she looks lovely (Sam Cam) for protocol yes maybe a hat.

[woofgang]

did you notice that Wills was driving in his pilots flying suit?

[jno]

ooh, do you think it was one of those 007-style Aston Martins that sprout wings and take off?

[woofgang]

Just watched the highlights on sky...I wish they had shown more of the bridesmaids and pages carriage.

[LoftyLottie]

Just called in to say goodnight.

I did watch the wedding after all and I thought it was just lovely. Beautiful dress and lovely bridesmaid's dresses. And Pippa Middleton looked amazing in that very stunning white dress too. The Abbey looked wonderful and the music was wonderful too. I just love Prince Harry - bless him.

This is very mean of me, but Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie just remind me of the Ugly Sisters from Cinderella. They are not ugly girls but their outfits were ridiculous. Someone needs to give those girls some guidance.

Night night, or good morning!!

Sam Cam looked as if she hadn't bothered at all and I thought her dress was mundane, a horrible colour and she should have worn a hat.

Why is it fashionable to wear hats on your forehead. It looks pretty stupid to me.

It was lovely weather here this morning - cloudless and blue skies and very warm. Went cloudier this afternoon. Slept most of the afternoon as I was just plain tired and headachey. Hence am now now tired at all!!

[LoftyLottie]

My posting is somewhat out of sequence. Goodness knows what I did!!

[Robinia]

Morning all, bit chilly & very breezy & the garden's a dust bowl. A blackbird just landed on my window sill & he had the most dried up little earthworm in his beak, the poor things, we desperately need rain. If I had the strength I'd lift some slabs or turf just so they could have something tasty for breakfast! Blackbird cannot live by raisins & dried mealworms alone.

As expected there's lots of analysing of the wedding on the news this morning I see and yes Lottie the panto sisters did look grim but they almost always do & I no longer take any notice of them. I know what you mean woofy about not getting to see some of the others, I bet we miss some great moments. Did you see the white evening gown & fluffy bolero Kate wore last night?... beautiful again.

So it's back to reality then...bad news for the painterer, ceiling needs another coat, it's rather patchy ...you just can't get the staff <sigh>

[woofgang]

morning all...we actually had RAIN last night. We took my car out this morning and all was fine so we've put some fuel dryer and cleaner in and some more diesel and huge fingers crossed. Its a real shame about the York girls...they always seem to look like outsiders. Cool but pleasant here.

[woofgang]

Oh my, I have just seen Princess Anne's outfit :-(

[jno]

actually, looking at some of those rubbish-tin lids, I am starting to think Sam Cam had the right idea about headwear after all. I am not a great hat fan at the best of times, but some of those ones look as if they have come from Planet Mutant.

[jno]

woofgang, I would welcome that floral look in my garden; perhaps it went nicely with the trees in the abbey?

[woofgang]

I thought actually that Beatrice's outfit was okay till it got to the hat (Write one thousand times "Phillip Treacey is not always right")

[netibiza]

Afternoon all, overcast today, Big Fiesta tomorrow (1st May and Mothers Day, I will not hold my breath!) so village is all sectioned off and no parking or driving ,

[Robinia]

lol woofy, I think Anne grabbed the curtains & ran to the dressmaker :o)

jno I daresay many of the wedding guests don't like hats, and some of them were pretty awful, but if you're invited to a grand Royal do at the Abbey, then make a polite effort, especially if you happen to be the pm's wife..Her outfit said 'Saturday evening do after my friend's wedding'

Think I might need to go & do some worm charming in't garden :o)

[woofgang]

I did think that Pippa looked very serene and maidenly though with her hair worn down and uncovered. That draped neckline was sensational but you need way less frontage than I have to carry it off. I liked the bridesmaids little capes...there was a brief glimpse of them as they went into the palace.