I'll be interested in hearing what folks have to say about yews; I had winter burn on some but not others. So far, I've been nipping away the ugly stuff, but not sure how they will respond.

Barberries: Pretty tough. My huge rabbit population "prunes" them down almost to the ground every winter (I keep saying I'm going to put wire cages around them, but never seem to do it) and they come back in full force. Same with the red-leaf roses (rosa rubrifolia); rabbits love 'em.

The usual way of pruning bushes is to remove one-third of the growth-the oldest branches. Then reduce the rest of the growth by about one-third, as well. Over three years your entire bush will be rejuvenated. Some bushes do no respond well to an over-all, to the ground reduction.

However, since bushes are generally tough plants, if your plants look awful, reduce them to the point they look better. They will usually respond with new growth if it is done early in the growing season.

Do not do this with an electric trimmer but by hand, with a hand-pruner. Make your cuts at different heights. It does take longer but your bushes will be much healthier and look better for the effort.

Linda