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).

[Jude123]

* acked me* sounds painful :~)

[woofgang]

morning all sleepy day here, dogs got me up them went back to sleep on the settees and DH is still kipping which i hope will do him good. I am happier when he is okay, now there's a strange thing!!

[shaneystar2]

Ooh I didn't see that there's another episode .I thought that was the last one .Oh Goody gumdrops. I hope Lewis and Laura finally get together .
Morning all and a lovely morning it is too if a tad chilly ,east wind type chilly .
That's the trouble here .You can roast in the garden then go out the front and it blows right up the lokes.
That two months has flown by Jno .At this rate it'll soon be Christmas.
I hope you've got your tiara ready :)
Have a good day all ..see you later

[netibiza]

Shaney have downloaded two Lewis but don't know in which order they are in. Is Christopher Timothy in the 3rd one or 2nd, I don't suppose it matters in which order I watch them!

[shaneystar2]

Christopher Timothy was in the second one Neti . Wild Justice .
They're all separate stories ,so no it doesn't matter really in what order you watch them.
Last night's was entitled The Mind Has Mountains.

[netibiza]

Thanks shaney!

[shaneystar2]

I answered a Q earlier about the Royal wedding and it's disappeared ,I can't find it ,but there was nothing untoward on it .One or two naysayers but nothing offensive.
Very odd .
Oh well .
..it's been glorious here today .I hope you've all been enjoying the sunshine . I've been in and out and pulled up no end of those ruddy spanish bluebell garlicky things :)
Just having a tincture before cooking some dinner .Cold meat Monday with bubble ..yum .

[netibiza]

Oh yum indeed shaney, On Saturday I made a Hash Flan and as we have been out to eat since, we are having it tonight probably with chips and salad!

[woofgang]

hello all fast pop in as I am supposed to be doing dinner....good day here DH very well and I am rested.
"The mind has mountains, hold them cheap who never hung there"
John Donne I think and I didn't look it up :-)

[shaneystar2]

I love bubble and squeak Neti .My Mum always made bubble on a Monday .The joint was eked out over the week
.Mind you ,you got a decent bit meat in those days !
These days you have to pay mega money even for the cheapest stuff at times I looked at a bit of brisket in Morrisons this morning It wasn't enough to feed four really and they wanted nearly ten quid .Everything is going up in leaps and bounds .Is it like that in Ibiza ?

[netibiza]

No decent meat here, well it;s very expensive if there is! We get frozen legs of lamb from the importer as it's much cheaper. Don't get English cuts so I have no idea how to roast beef or pork! And my oven is either on or off no heat regulator! (Mr N and I have no idea what that button is called!) Tell me, how do you make your bubble. Do you add eggs and do it on the hob or in the oven? Do you bung in any left over ie carrots, peas beans?? Tried to diet, but ended up with chips and then strawbs and cream!! Have to say that the strawbs we get here at this time are the most superb from Huelva, the next batch in June are not half as tasty!!

[netibiza]

I only remember bubble on Boxing Day, cos I think we were so many normally that there wasn't anything left over in the week!!

[netibiza]

what is the heat knob called please??

[woofgang]

Thermostat?
Been stocking up for the bank holidays today. I hate shopping when the shops are crowded. You know that dress I said I wanted? Well I saw it in M and S today and it's horrible. The beading looks cheap and nasty and the fabric is that rough crunchy polyester that sets your teeth on edge. I stood in the shop and really tried to like it but to no avail.....oh well, my invite seems to have been delayed in the post so I won't have to worry about what to wear to the evening do ;-) . We are still a roast, cold , cottage pie family. Not huge on bubble and squeak.

[woofgang]

Ps I wasn't a Morse fan but am liking Lewis

[shaneystar2]

There's a new thing on soon Neti which looks quite good .I've read the book which was good .
http://www.itv.com/pr...rwhicher/default.html

Bubble ? Oh ..I just fry up any old cold spuds and veg in bacon fat ,favourite is cold mash fried up with cold greens .Cabbage etc .I don't like carrots in bubble only green Plenty of pepper and keep turning it until it's crispy on the outside .Lovely with a fried egg on top .

[jno]

right, it's a sunny (but chilly) Tuesday morning and I am all packed except for my toothbrush. No tiara, as it is not me who's got wedding duties but the OH. I shall be drinking to the downfall of the lot of them, but in my most patriotic manner of course, possibly wearing Union Jack socks.

[shaneystar2]

Woofy I loved that dress .it looked so lovely on the tele so that's very disappointing ......but in Matalan they have lovely maxi dresses for twenty quid and in bigger sizes for barge arses like me .I'm tempted to go and have a shufti .
It's not as if we get mega hot weather all the time and I just want something to float about in that hides my ordnance survey map legs
.I get sick of wearing trousers after the winter .
I like long maxi skirts in the summer .

[shaneystar2]

Tut tut Jno ....orf with your head :)
I'll be watching though .I love to see what the great and good are wearing :)
I 'm a Royalist .Can't imagine living in a republic .I know they leave a lot to be desired but I have to say Her Maj has weathered the storm that is our royal famiy admirably .
What will happen when she's gone is to be left .I think they'll probably end up like the Dutch .
Riding their bicycles round Buck House .

[woofgang]

Pooh Matalan, thanks Shaney....I agree about the Queen...I reckon her kids have brought her her fair share of pain and then a bit.