Week off - is it too early to prune sambucus nigra and buddleia?

As I am off work for a week, I am aiming to get outside for a pre- spring tidy. Do you think it will be ok to prune back my sambucus nigra and buddleia? Also, in the photo included, does anyone know if that is a red robin next to the conifer? If so, it's gone really lanky....can I cut that back too? Many thanks... :-)

 

I'm going to go out and take a photo of my sambucus because it is an ongoing issue since last year. I only had about two flowers on it last year, and possibly even less the year before. Last summer I pretty much just left it to grow, in the hope that this year it would flower a lot more; however, it's a really strange shape now and does need pruning... Watch this space for the photo...just getting my waterproofs on again! Can't believe it is tipping down again...we'll actually I can.
I have also included a photo of what I think is a red robin...it looks really lanky I think, so would appreciate any advice on pruning that too... Thanks

 

I'll be pruning my type 3 Clematis , buddleia and red robin this weekend . I normally do these in the back half a February. That is presuming we don't have howling wind , torential rain or whatever else mother nature can throw at us !

 

All the leggy growth in my photo, I am planning to cut that all off... Thanks for the reply

 

I think if you prune it you get vigorous growth (which is what I prune my Sambucus for - also to prevent them getting "old" which leads to them snuffing it "early" I think), so perhaps you need NOT to prune for a good crop of flowers?

 

If you want flowers on your sambucus DON'T prune now. Instead prune in late June straight after flowering. If you prune now you will cut off all the flowering wood BUT you will get larger lusher foliage as compensation. Your call. I don't think they are particularly short-lived, BTW. Tough as old boots usually.

Pruned my sambucus and buddleia several weeks ago.

Re the photinia photo - it looks more like a pieris to me but the image is not very clear. Does it have clusters of small bell-shaped dirty-white flowers?

 

They are both stunning! Well I went out the other day and pruned... Before seeing any of these messages... I cut the main woody stems down quite a bit but tried to leave some old growth in place. Will just see what happens! In regards to the message about the red robin, it has never flowered. It doesn't have clusters of flowers at all. I googled the pieris and I am positive it's not that.
On another note... Does anyone know what this plant is? I really must learn to keep hold of the labels...
I bought it at the end of last summer and it has flowered all winter. Am thinking I should now cut that back too...the first pic was last august... The second was yesterday. I just left it to see what it did. Am not sure I like what it's done ha ha

 

That rings a bell! Thanks :-)

 

I'm getting confused about what to do with my Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'. I planted it last summer and it's done well with three good strong shoots. It's still relatively small.

I was thinking of pruning quite far down in Feb, but then it sounds like the foliage will be larger and there will be fewer flowers? I don't really want large leaves, but I wouldn't mind more of then. So, do you think it is better to perhaps cut it down by a third to a node, so it bushed out more without going into vigorous totally new growth mode?