How to prune overgrown Hebes

Hi,

I have two Hebe's and I've no idea of the variety as we've been in our current home for 12 months and I've never seen then flower. Although, I do think that they are both similar varieties.

Both are starting to get out of shape and have become overgrown. How can I get these back in check?

This is the one in the front garden:



This is the one in the back garden:



Neither plant seems very dense although the one in the front garden seems denser but this is only because I tied it up last Summer.

Thanks for your help in advance

NP

 

Personaly I would give light prune with my secataures ,to get a nice shape.Start at the base where it is going on to the grass and the path to start with.

I think you will end up with a nice shape by the time you have finished.

Good luck.

 

Id cut them right back almost to the ground in mid to late summer, as long as there are some basal shoots, if not or a lot of dead wood then on the bonfire and ree plant.

Remember that a hard prune will put them off flowering for atleast another season so ree planting may be the better option

 

Should these plants be quite dense or should they have large gaps where I can see the stems?

 

Ideally, Nick, you want them quite dense. Hebe can be cut quite hard back without ill effect. What I would do now though, ( or, I should say, when this cold snap ends ), is, get the shears and just trim them into shape for now. Then after flowering, cut them back by about one third.

 

The first pic dont look like a hebe to me.

Could it be Box? And I think its in flower.
Tell me to clear off, if I'm wrong.

 

Pete, I think your right, Looks like mine, just starting to get new bright green leaves..

 

Hmmm, maybe it's not a hebe, here is another pic I took today ....

 

Box or Lonicera?

 

I still agree with DP trim into shape for now and at back end of yr give a good prune back.

Enjoy your plant for now just with a tidy up haircut so to speak.

 

If it smells of cats, its box. :D

and you can just trim it whenever you like as the flowers are not worth worrying about.

 

If it smells like cats it`s probably......Cats. :D

 

David,...... you are so predictable. :D

 

So are the cats Peter. :D

 

Hi David, thanks for the advice.

The only issue I have is that the Hebes don't seem to have flowered in the past 12 months. We moved into the house last May and I'm 99% sure that they haven't flowered.

Do you think they are very old and have just stopped flowering?

Thanks, Nick