Cutting shrubs back..can i do it now?

[RobertaMary]

Just moved into a new place (well 1935) & its got a small garden mostly taken up with a paved sunken area with raised beds all round. The end bed is filled with some large & pretty out of control shrubs.im a newbie to gardens but think ones a very overgrown hebbie, anothers a large camelia, what looks like a budlia & something with small lime green leaves. Can i cut them back now? Im in Plymouth Devon & its pretty mild at the moment & we dont get many frosts in general

[nungate]

Don't touch the camelia! You can cut it back after it flowers, cut back the buddleia now not too sure about the hebe as I haven't grown them in the past. There's a few websites that give advice on pruning etc though I can't remember any at the moment just google the name of the palnt and something will turn up, though I'm not sure about the one with the small lime green leaves

[nungate]

sorry that should be plant!

[RobertaMary]

cheers nungate

[HowardKennitby]

this might help

http://www.gardenseek...buddleja_buddleia.htm

http://www.gardeningk...-a-camellia-plant.htm

[rowanwitch]

Best rule with flowering shrubs is trim back after flowering you can hack back the buddliea in March Leave the camelia and if you want to reduuce it drastically I'd go it in stages over a couple of summers

Hebe will survive a tidy but you might not get as many flowers

Personally though I'd live with the garden for a year apart from weeding as you never know what treasures might appear... Camellias are always treasures especially nice big ones