On 4/13/2008 4:28 PM, andyc123 wrote:
Hi all,

Rather a newbie here I'm afraid. Very interested in wildlife
(www.gbwildlife.co.uk) and now want to learn the gardening side of
that.

We had the chance to look over our garden today which has got great
potential but has been a little neglected over the last few years. The
question is basically is it too late in the year to prune things back
(or is that a newbie question and does it depend what I am pruning).
We have lots of books but some of the advice seems a little tricky -
dont prune if risk of frost which may be as late as May but surely we
cant wait too late or everything will be in bloom??

We basically want to prune things back as many shrubs and gotten very
tangled and the plants underneath are not getting enough light.

We also seem to have quite boggy soil in parts so may need to look at
some drainage (I think due to the fact we live part way down a hill and
there is an underlying clay soil).

Thanks for any advice - we are worried about doing more harm that
good!

Andrew

Yes, the answer depends highly on the plants and on your climate.

What you really need is a comprehensive gardening book that is oriented
to your climate and geography. You might ask at your local public
library.

Two other sources of information would be a good local nursery (not a
lumber yard or hardware store) and the home adviser at your county's
agricultural extension service.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/