Berberis darwinii - neglected

I was pulling out weeds around Berberis darwinii and trimming the neighbour’s shrub behind it in the border which resulted in what you can see in the attached photos from two different angles. My border goes conifer-shrub-conifer-shrub sometimes two shrubs etc growing continuously one next to another. I am not sure what to do with the space I created. I have two trees thuja and juniper that I could use but do you think I should cut the Berberis out? It seems rather messy perhaps neglected to me – long twisted branches with leaves and flowers appearing at the end of the branches only. I have no idea if this can still be made into a nice shrub eventually. Many thanks for advice.

 

I like Berberis darwinii, I put 4/5 small ones in last year after seeing a picture similar to the one below, it might just need a little pruning and TLC ?

 

You need to do some pruning and re shaping there dahlia - but not now. At this time of year the birds will still be nesting, and that is exactly where they will be. At the end of the summer is the right time...so why not treat yourself to some nice sharp loppers and pruners, and prepare to create a miracle.

 

Dahlia
Darwinii can be pruned back drastically and will recover so that is what I would do. I would take it down to 3 or 4'
If birds are not nesting there....easy enough to check....then prune now. It will recover well by late summer
Lovely plant with one drawback.....it seeds everywhere and the reaulting seedlings are difficult to remove.
I prune mine back every spring after flowering....if not done it will quickly form an unruly plant.

 

I certainly agree with drastic pruning on this Berberis, but I disagree that nesting birds in prickly shrubs are ''easy enough'' to find, and have helped with the local wildlife centre to try and hand rear many little nestlings because a nest has been missed. These babies have to be demand fed, and it is a continuous task over several weeks to get them ready to go back to the wild.
If an overgrown shrub is cut back hard in the late summer - early autumn, it will still make a nice specimen next year.....so why take that risk

 

Hiya Tetters....just thought it didnt look too difficult to see if birds are nesting there or "travelling" there. On close up it doesnt look like birds are nesting there....??
Darwinii pruned in late summer will look awful over winter and spring next year

 

I agree @Tetters . I was attacking a very overgrown Holly hedge the other day having checked or so I thought to see if there was any nests in it. Thinking there wasn't I started to reduce the bush and then discovered to my horror a small nest with 6 tiny babies in it. I was furious with myself and immediately put back on the hedge as much of what I'd pruned off as possible. After a very stressful 5 or 6 hours looking to see if Mum or Dad had returned to the nest I spotted a Robin sitting back on the next......big sigh of relief. All is well even after a bit of rain (was worried that they'd be soaked after my pruning off some of the protection). Babies are growing fast and I have made mental note to NOT prune anything without really studying the plant to make 100% sure nothing is nesting in it. I wanted to prune a Viburnum immediately after it finished flowering but now don't risk it and will prune it later in the season. So I may not get flowers next year, small price to pay for not destroying a nest/s.

 

I had to tell my community gardener off last week, he was cutting the hedges round about, I will be speaking to his boss later today.Trimming link to RSPB advice

 

Just a few weeks ago a couple brought me a small box with three babies in it. They had no feathers, just gaping hungry little beaks. The couple said they looked, and couldn`t see any nests. One died, and it took weeks of dedication to get the other two through.
My own shrubs and trees get lopped and chopped in the winter months. If some of them are not at their best during that time - that`s fine. It doesn`t take long for them to recover.
We lost the blue tit in my picture, although feeding got him through to that stage - he still didn`t make it.

 

Ok Tetters....learned something today. Sad story to make me rethink
Not an expert at all but the robins .......nests in garage, shed and bushes I think.....have left their nests here. Are robins earlier for this?

 

All the time the weather is good, the birds keep producing their young. They don`t just stop with one lot. Once you become involved with rescue it makes you realise what a hard time they have and how many are destroyed by predators (especially people)
I think generally that people are unaware of this, as I always was until I became involved with picking up the pieces.
Similarly with our hedgehog population. It is better to be aware of their needs, and the things we do - often unwittingly, that kill and maim them. Netting and strimmers used willy nilly cause absolute devastation so often.
We all just need to think a bit more.
And now I will stop lecturing (thank goodness I hear you cry) and get on with some work.

 

That's fine Tetters....it's how we learn and it makes this a pretty good forum I think!

 

Was wondering @Tetters, would it be terrible if i removed the Robin's nest once the current clutch have fledged? Is it a huge task for them to rebuilt another 1? I only ask as husband was merrily (well grumpily really!) making a rubble path very close to the Holly hedge before I discovered the Robin had nested there. As I said before all pruning of said Holly has stopped and husband was told not to keep making the path as he was breaking up bricks etc so making a hell of a noise. It would be good to get the path finished before the end of this summer but if it is going to be a real hassle for the Robin then we will leave the path making until the Autumn.

 

THAT Verdun is where we really do agree. It`s a brilliant forum.
The nestlings are singing the hallelujah chorus now.....these ones still have their proper mummy.

 

@silu No that would not be terrible at all. Life has to go on, but if the babies had fallen out of their nest, and been abandoned by their parents...... you would have felt terrible then.