Shrubs dying, help!

[RetreatingWeasels]

Last winter a pyrocantha in our front garden lost all its leaves and went black. I've just happened to look out the back and a similar bush that is always full of orange berries has also lost all its leaves. I believe it was a cotoneaster. It's always full of bees in the summer, and birds all year round.

What is going on with these plants? I'll admit I suspected the NDN of killing plant 1, but plant 2 is on the opposite side of the garden.

It could be fireblight. Cotoneaster and pyracantha come from the same related group of plants, and can both get it.

Cotoneasters don't usually have orange berries so I'd suspect your second bush was also a pyracantha.

Regards it as a planting opportunity. But make sure what you plant isn't probe to fireblight.