Sorry looking bushes
By Scubasteve
Lincolnshire,
United Kingdom 
The two shrubs/bushes pictured together have looked really healthy since I moved in two years ago, however they are looking decidely unhealthy to date. There was a third to the right but that succombed to the winter (Im assuming) and I have already dug that out. The one on the right has a large unhealthy/dead portion as you can tell from the picture and the left one is not looking good either. The two close ups are of the left hand bush. Please can you tell me the ID's and if these have fell to the weather or are suffering some kind of disease? I can post a close up of both bushes separately if required. Kindest Regards Steve the Novice!
28 Apr, 2011
Answers
I think the one on the left is a pittospourm and the one on the right a hebe. Both have suffered from the winter. Give them a good feed and make sure they don't go short of water and see how they respond
28 Apr, 2011
Hebe do have a tendency to looks woody if not cut back and not is full sun. As previous commentators have said, cut the brown bit back and see if it regenerates (I think it may not as it looks really woody). I would put some gloves on and gently run my hands through the Pittsopourm bush to get rid of the brown leaves then water it well and feed it. I think it will come back a treat.
29 Apr, 2011
I did once cut back a really old very woody hebe almost to the ground,and it regenerated beautifully, but I didn't do it all in one go - left it plenty of green to be going on with and didn't do the other half until there was plenty of new growth on the first side.
1 May, 2011
The one on the right looks like a hebe of some sort. Some of them will regenerate if you cut them back severely, so I suggest you cut half of it back, leaving the greenest part alone. If it does regenerate during the summer you can then trim the other half next year.
I'm not sure what the first one is, but wonder if there has been some spray drift from weedkiller?
Alternatively as there is a nice selection of shrubs behind them you could just heave them out and start again, as they are really a bit too close together anyway.
28 Apr, 2011