Pruning Shrubs

[Robinia]

Have any of you lovely gardeners hard pruned, into old thick wood, any of the following shrubs and had them live to see another year?!!  I read all the books but there's so much conflicting advice when it comes to renovation pruning.

Olearia haastii (Daisy bush)

Lonicera fragrantissima (winter honeysuckle - think this one will be ok)

Cotinus (smoke Bush).

[netibiza]

ps , please was there a Midsomer this week???

[shaneystar2]

Hello chooks and Happy Mayday ..
Lovely day here ,bit breezy and chilly east wind but sunny and bright .
Have spent two non days lolling about apart from bobbing on here to comment on the wedding .Dizziness seems to be easing off .Only if I loll though :)

Haha ..I laughed at Her Maj ushering Prince P into the coach .I bet she's saying " "Come on ,get a shift on ,there'll be no gin left " and the cartwheeling vicar was great. .

Crikey Jno ..Arizona . have you unpacked from the last trip ?.Will it be hot and dry and in splendid sunshine dressed ? I hope so .I can just see you motoring down Route 66 :)

Ooh are they the ones by Jennifer Worth Neti .About a midwife ?

Hope you are all well and happy and your loved ones too.Take care all xxx

[shaneystar2]

No Midsomer this week Neti .

[netibiza]

Thanks shaney, no these are by someone else, can't remember, but I have read the Jennifer Worth ones, brilliant, I loved them!

[shaneystar2]

Yes Neti the ones by Jennifer Worth are really interesting. Good social history.
My SiL lent them to me . Not my usual genre (blood and guts crime thrillers ) and I really enjoyed them .
What are the ones you have ?

[netibiza]

She was the midwife in the east end wasn't she, attached to a convent, is that the right ones. Can't remember the names as have passed them on to other people now, but thoroughly enjoyed them!

[shaneystar2]

Yes Neti the ones I read were
Call the Midwife
Farewell to the East End and Shadows of the Workhouse .

[woofgang]

sounds interesting...I have the box set to record Vera tonight in case anyone else is intersted?

[shaneystar2]

I'll be watching Woofy .The books are good so I'm interested to see how they portray her.
http://www.anncleeves.com/vera/index.html

[netibiza]

Yes hopefully I'l get Vera tomorrow but it depends when it is due out of dvd!

Call the midwife was one shaney, can't remember the other.

[netibiza]

Oh good have checked the site schedule and I shoudl get some of the series, only four in all.

[shaneystar2]

Where's Jno ?
(tut ..packing her toothbrush I 'spose:)

I 've just watched a bit with Nick Clegg on Andrew Marr about this AV thing .
I'm unsure what to do . One mind says no . I prefer PR if we have to have change. I've read they have this down under. Does it work ,.is it popular with the electorate ?
I'm not happy with the Lib Dems anymore and see this a ploy by them to gain more votes .
I can't see that it makes much difference really .You're not forced to put choices on the slip so one could just vote for the party you want anyway and not put any other choices
I certainly wouldn't put the BNP ,for example,as a choice :)
Explanations welcome as you are far more knowledgeable than me about these things :))

[woofgang]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13140015

I am going to vote no because it is complicated. I think that people are less likely to vote and less likely to actually get it right because of the complications, also there is more scope for so called tactical voting which i think is wrong.
I wouldn't mind proper PR but actually am quite happy with the system we have now

[shaneystar2]

That explains it well Woofy .I'm still dithering :)
True ,it is very complicated .We have a vote here about an elected Mayor as well .
Mr.S .( who can't vote ,only at local level ) is trying to convince me it's a a good thing .
They have this system in Germany for a Mayor ,brought into lots of states after the war by the Americans who can vote for everyone who stands for public office ( police chiefs etc ) which i think is a good thing.
Elected Mayors are Ok in big cities I think but round here it would be who can chum their way up the ladder :)) I'll scratch your back etc .
I'm getting to old to worry about it all really but I do because women chained themselves to railings to give me the right to vote .

[Jude123]

Hi All. I agree Shaney, One lady died didn't she seeking the vote for women so I vote as well. I've tried to understand the AV system but I can't see how it can be fair so I'm still unsure what to do.
Hope you are all ok today. It.s really windy here but still not raining. I went to my son's this morning and had a cuppa with him. He's not been very well and the Dr. says he possibly has IBS. I thought mainly women got that. Anyhow he seems to be improving and he as to take Fybogel. He was really mad cos he paid for his prescription and then discovered he could have bought them over the counter cheaper. He couldn't believe the Dr. didn't tell him. My son and his money - I don't know. He doesn't take after me there.
I'm into the snooker today. Anybiddy else liking it. I wont be able to see the last part tomorrow night as I am going to the Theatre so I hope I don't find out who wins before i get home to watch the high lights.
Have a good night all see yer later 'gater(s)

[netibiza]

Shaney, don't answer if I am being too nosy, but has mr s not become British cos of being married to you. We cannot vote here (only for the local mayor) because we are still British even though we have lived here for 40yr and paid in taxes etc. it annoys the pants off of me, cos why can't I have a say in this country, I certainly can't in yours! Does he feel mad about it all like we do?

[shaneystar2]

Mr S is a German national Neti so he can't vote here. He holds a German passport as do the offspring .I'm the only Brit in the house :))
In spite of having lived here for years ( apart from expat stuff) and paying his way he has no vote in the General Election only local and European elections .Eg MP for Europe .

[netibiza]

Same as us then. I do feel though that if one pays in the money then one should have a say in how the country is run, after residing there for a good few years!

[shaneystar2]

PS His aunt lived here for over fifty years and never changed her natiionality either .
Children take their fathers nationality automatically if born abroad and them getting British or dual nationality was so much hassle we left it .I did have a wobble about them having to do National Service though, but the Germans didn't pursue it .They had never lived there permanently at the time they were eligible .

[Robinia]

Good evenin pruners & swetis...what's this? pollytics in a biddy thread, I'm not sure it's allowed? My blonde non political brain says NO but maybe I haven't understood it properly. I had Andrew Marr on this morning until Macaroon & Clog appeared & I switched off...so it's no wonder I don't understand much. :o) Actually I don't think there's a politician who does grab me, but I did take to that nice Lib man in Lottie's area....Norman Lamb?

Better go & make a cuppa before Vera starts. I'm a giddybiddy again myself shaney but I've put it down to being outside in this blustery weather...and the air's absolutely full of crip, my throat's very dry.