What should I do with this?

[NeverApologiseNeverExplain]

Hello, hoping that so some who understands gardening might be able to help me!

I have this shrub in my garden, no idea what it is as it's inherited from previous owner. It's quite a nice shape but it is covered in dead brown leaves and seed heads that just crumble when I touch them.

A few green leaves at the bottom. Should I remove all the brown stuff (by crumbling or pruning in some way) or just leave it to fall off by itself? Is it likely to return to all green again by the summer?

I'm completely clueless about gardening!

It's right in the middle of the back wall of the garden, centre stage when I look out if my patio doors, so I'd like to have something nice there if possible. I think it had some purple flowers last summer.

I think that's a Hebe, they've really suffered with the cold weather apparently, we had three that had the same problem,we've replaced two of them with heathers and we're going to see what happens to the third one in the spring, but it doesn't look too promising unfortunately.

I'd cut all the brown back and leave any green.

Thanks. When you say cut it back, where do I cut? As in right to the main stem, or just pull the dead leaves off?

I'd wait until the weather warms up before pruning it due to risk of frost damage to the new shoots @NeverApologiseNeverExplain

Given you're not that in to gardening, it is perfectly acceptable to hoik it out and buy yourself a new plant. Any garden centre will have a range of Hebes in a month or so if that's what it is.

If you feel you want to give it a chance I would wouldn't do anything until we're past the cold patch that's coming this week. If it's going to be OK you will see it resprouting/leaves appearing when it warms up; you can then cut out anywhere it's not sprouting.

It may come back when it warms up, but then again it may not - they are generally pretty tough but this winter may have been too much for it. And they are not the best at regrowing if you cut them back hard.

Thanks everyone that's really helpful.

If I were to buy a new plant for that space, any suggestions?

The garden is NE facing.

I would go for something with a bit more punch for a place that is so prominent. I am a huge fan of Japanese Maples, specially sango kaku or another of the coral bark ones (sango kaku gets a bit big possibly for that space, but they are fairly slow growing). They have the advantage of beautiful stems in winter as well as the lovely leaves ringing the changes with the other seasons.

Or you could go for one of the red leaved varieties, like bloodgood, which would look good in front of that ivy (but would be less interesting in winter).

You could also go for a small magnolia, like magnolia stellata.

What about an erysimum bowles mauve? They flower pretty much all year round, evergreen foliage and very hardy. I used to have them in a North facing garden.

Oh I like the look of that, thank you

Cut any branches with dead leaves back to where the branch is green. Take it gently and you’ll work it out. Dead branches will be brown all through, branches which are green inside when you cut through them are still alive

They can be short lived 4-5 years and are susceptible to frosts.

How about a dwarf Vibirnum or a Pieris? Both evergreen, hardy and easily pruned to keep them compact. Azaleas and dwarf rhododendrons are also lovely, hardy and not as difficult to grow as some people think.

That's true, they flower so continuously they can exhaust themselves after 4 or 5 years@Beebumble2 but worth it for the lovely long term display. Looks like a raised border in OPs pics so would thought would be fine there not sitting in heavy, damp spot. Never lost any of ours to frost unlike our poor Hebes this year. Good luck with whatever you decide on @NeverApologiseNeverExplain

I went back and looked again. Realised that the green leaves belonged to a different plant! The Hebe was a gonner - I cut one thick branch right near the bottom of the stem and it was dry as a bone all the way through.

Looking forward to choosing a replacement.

I’ve lost 3 hebes this winter, I’m replacing two with highly scented roses and one with a viburnum.
Lots of lovely shrubs to choose from!

They're also incredibly easy from cuttings, so even if they do die off you could have several in the wings waiting to replace them.

Never had one suffer from frost.

@Beebumble2 @TheSweetestHalleluja which of the plants mentioned here are you talking about in the subsequent posts?

Sorry, meant to tag @CatherinedeBourgh in the previous post, not @Beebumble2.

I was talking about erysimum bowles' mauve.