Identification of hedges/plants and how to tidy

Hi - my wife is going away for 2 weeks and I wanted to tidy the back patio of where we are renting so can surprise her when back.

Please can I get help on;
1) identifying the different plants\bushes and
2) What I should do with them to tidy them and what tools to use to tidy them.

Completely new to gardening so feel free to completely dumb it down for me.

There are 2 sets of bushes on the wall in the wooden criss cross panels and then the large green bush which just looks not nice.

Thank you so much!

 

Yes some closeups would be useful ...

 

@Michael Hewett @JWK - thanks so much for help. Same 3 photos of before with closeups. Didn't realise they were thumbnails. Let me know if want to go even closer. Thanks so much again!

Picture 1


Picture 2


Picture 3

 

In the first photo there are two different shrubs, the one with tiny leaves I think is Lonicera nitida but I don't know the other one although it reminds me of a bramble.
You can cut the Lonicera back to the ground and it will regrow, and then maybe you could keep it to a nicer shape.
They tend to get unruly though unless you keep on top of them.

The second one looks like Euonymus, it scrambles everywhere. You could cut it right back and as it regrows you can keep it in control by constant pruning ...

I don't know the 3rd one sorry, it could be Escalonia but I'm not sure.

 

Thanks @Michael Hewett.
And a really stupid quesiton, when you say cut back, what tools would you recommend to do this?

Hi @JWK - Michael helped suggest on below. Would you agree?
Picture 1 — Lonicera nitida and likely brambles.
Picture 2 — Euonymus
Picture 3 - this one though do you have any ideas?

Thanks again both so much
Jazz

 

I use a seccateurs (don't know if I've spelt that correctly lol) but they are little cutters you can hold in your hand, like in the photo ...



If the stems are thick or woody you can use a similar thing but bigger, with longer handles. I can't find mine to take a photo for you, it's probably lying around somewhere under the shrubs (I am not a tidy organized person !)
but you've probably seen one anyway.

 

I was just thinking no 3 may be another Euonymus but it is difficult to tell from the photo.

 

Could no. 3 be a honeysuckle? Looks rather like my serotina....

 

No. 3 - perhaps Ceonothus?

Escallonia tends to have serrated edges on leaves and if you crush one it will leave a citrus smell on your fingers.

 

Hi all - sorry for the delay. This is a close up of the flowers on picture 3. Does this help?

Also, for all 3 plants as they have become very messy, can I just cut these right back to basically their bases (can see the original three pictures at beggining of thread on how they look now)?

Thanks
@Sheal @JWK @Clare G @Michael Hewett

 

I think this one is indeed Bramble, put on thornproof gloves (leather), get the stem right down to the ground with secateurs and repeat when it grows back.

Edit- adding the photo now, a zoom in of photo 1 showing the thorny thing:




Cutting everything back helps going forwards as you will see the space better, but can look a bit harsh at first.

May I suggest a trip to Morrisons? I just bought secateurs discounted to £2, very good ones. They also sell gloves. The best bit is that with not too much of an investment you can buy some plants in flower, compost, and brighten the garden up in an instant by potting the containers up. Last time I saw M. had miniature patio roses for £2, they would look lovely in those pots and flower until autumn. Keep well watered and perhaps group the pots together for a good display.

Welcome to the forum @Jazzbal007