Have just pruned/cut back EVERYTHING

[fatsatsuma]

I know it is not the right time to prune certain things, but I felt so depressed at the overgrown mess that I just cut everything right back.

Background is that I have some nice shrubs and perennials which I put in two years ago, but neglected everything badly last year for various reasons (new baby, other stresses).

I know that some things may not flower this year if I have pruned them now - but please reassure me that they will at least grow again

Well you'll find out one way or another! My garden always becomes a bit of wilderness when I have a baby. I've done the prune-everything approach before, some things actually grew better afterwards.

Thanks Omicron. I know the 'Chelsea chop' is supposed to be a good idea, but that's May isn't it? Anyway, as you say, time will tell...

My SIL is a hard-pruner, everything grows beautifully in her garden. She doesn't have babies so can check what time of year to do it though!

Well, if they're so feeble that you've killed them now, they would probably have died at some point anyway, so who cares?

I went a bit mad last year - I think I did manage to kill one thing, but it was the type of shrub where I looked at it and thought 'either you shape up, or you're better off dead'.

Thanks GrendelsMum. That's exactly what I was thinking when I hacked aaway at a couple of ugly hebes. They are pretty tough I think so hopefully they'll survive, but look better!

Ah

Hebes were the one thing I did check last year before I started pruning. According to my books, they probably won't prune into a better shape if they've got lopsided / leggy / straggly / woody / generally rubbish, so you may need to replace them with new ones. But the books said you should be viewing them as short term shrubs anyway, so no harm done.

Oh boo. They are useful space fillers and (sed to) look green and a nice round shape. Bother. If I plant new little ones, will they grow fairly quickly do you think?

Don't replace your hebes just yet. There's a chance they may come back. Just wait and see.

Meant they used to look green etc.

Thanks Blowbroth. I will wait and see. But one of them is very prominent and looking very sad at the moment

Like Blowbroth says, give them a chance, but if they don't come back, it's not your fault, it's just life. (Thinks with interest - perhaps because they come from part of the world with no browsing animals, thus they Haven't adapted to regenerate when pruned?)