cutting and pruning advice, please!

[Greydog]

i have a very small front garden, which is totally overgrown, and I need to clear it so I can sort it out. There is a privet hedge on both sides, which is almost 2ft thick in places, and the most beautiful rose that needs bringing done a bit. So, how hard can I cut the privet - I don't want to kill it - and the same for the rose. What's the best time for this?

I cut my privet hedge (5 - 6') down to 3" (I warned the next door neighbours first) and then carefully managed it to get it much denser down at the bottom and not leggy - and shorter. It was rather drastic but looked much better after about 18 months. Privet can be cut down really hard. Roses quite often appreciate a hard prune too - I would do the rose in about March though, and cut to above a bud about a foot above ground if that would be a good height for you.

Thanks, mistlethrush - but does it have to be done at any time? I was thinking September ish?

TBH I would do it in about March - as this is just before it has a good growth spurt so you should get some nice new growth pretty quickly. You will need to pinch out the ends of any long shoots to promote bushy growth - if you can do this when they're only short and just take the tip out its ideal as it hasn't spent lots of energy making things that then get lost. - these bits will rot easily too so I didn't bother to pick them up. I also tended to cut the hedge quite regularly when it was bigger and again left the trimmings and they soon all rotted down - mind you I did have a border there and they didn't look too untidy!

excellent advice - thanks again!