Climbers - what do I do when don't know what they are?

[gininteacupsandleavesonthelawn]

We've moved into a new house with a few climbers on the front... I'm concerned that they should have been pruned but I've got no idea what they are. Any tips on identification? There all a bit dead looking although they have buds so obviously not and all the pics I find online and in bloom. Thanks for the help

Photos would help, could you upload some? Maybe clematis, which is currently budding on "dead" stems...

Photos...

Ha! It's hard to tell when they aren't in leaf. I think there's a clematis monana, a winter-flowering jasmine and possibly an ornamental quince in there. But I could be wrong...

Another pic

It's all very knotty

Did you happen to see the house when they were in leaf/flowering?
We're in largely the same boat, we have lots of apparently dead climbers all over the house but I know that a lot of them are clematis and a couple are honeysuckle. And one may be wisteria.
Best thing to do is just leave them this year, see what comes out and then you can prune properly next year.

We did so they were alive so I won't do any harm by leaving until after summer?

If I'm right and they are the three I mentioned above, then the biggest danger is that they will be competing with each other! I actually like the tangly, wild effect but obviously you don't want one completely depriving another of light and nutrients. You'll be able to see more clearly whether this is a problem, I think, when they've leafed up in a couple of weeks.

The winter jasmine with the yellow flowers can be cut back after flowering in the next month or so.

The clematis montana is a real toughie, and can be chopped back once it has flowered in April/May.

The quince with the pink flowers needs to be pruned into an open, branched shape next winter.

Had a look online... Doesn't look like Montana based on pics. Any other ideas?

Agree, clematis, quince, winter jasmine
The winter jasmine should be pruned after flowering. I pruned mine yesterday.
The quince looks as though it is about to blossom so leave well alone this year

Is the ball thing in the middle pic of the first set a fruit? They are perfectly edible, if it is a quince and it certainly looks like one - you can harvest when they go yellow, cut up and remove the seeds and cook it down, strain and make into quince jelly. Yummy.

It does look fruit like, there's only 3 or 3 of them though

Wow, good spot Doreen - it's not an ornamental quince, it's a QUINCE!

Definitely looks like flowering quince now I've googled it