neat and to encourage plenty of flowers. one-year stems will have a few flowers in their first spring, but most flowers are carried on the side shoots that develop from branches that were new the year before. after that, they become thick and older, with fewer flowers. immediately after flowering is the time to prune your bushes – do it before and you will lose blooms.
remove branches 3 or more years old as low to the ground as possible, usually to a strong, younger stem that will have grown up in the previous year or two. shorten back long new stems, that have no side-shoots on them. this will encourage 