Home Gardener's Pruning (UK Only). David Squire

or damaged by severe weather. If left, they encourage decay to infect and damage other parts of the shrub. Keep the shrub’s center open so that light and air can enter. Incidentally, it is easier to control the size of winter-flowering shrubs than any other type.

      Examples of winter-flowering deciduous shrubs include Hamamelis mollis, Cornus mas and Viburnum x bodnantense.

      Details of pruning winter-flowering shrubs are given on pages 20–39.

      PRUNING A DOGWOOD

      Several Dogwoods are grown for their colored stems, which are especially welcome in winter when they are free from leaves and low light can glance off them. Unless these plants are radically pruned in spring by cutting them right down to within 3 in (7.5 cm) of the ground, they will not produce their annual display. Shrubs to look for with attractive colored stems include Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ (red stems), C. alba ‘Sibirica’ (bright crimson stems), C. alba ‘Kesselringii’ (purplish-black stems) and Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ (bright greenish-yellow stems); also known as Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea.’

       Severely pruning a Dogwood encourages the development of young, colorful stems from its base.

       Dealing with reversion

      Occasionally, some variegated plants have stems that revert to an all-green nature. Usually, these are more vigorous than the variegated form and both look different from the rest of the shrub and stand above the normal level of the foliage. As soon as they are seen, cut back these stems to the variegated leaves.

      Reversion can often be seen on plants such as Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ’n’ Gold,’ Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and variegated forms of Elaeagnus, such as Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata.’