general rule of thumb for when to prune flowering shrubs?

To  answer the question of when to prune flowering shrubs, we must first  determine the reason behind the pruning. Do you wish to rejuvenate  overgrown, neglected flowering shrubs through pruning? Or is this to be  merely a routine pruning to maintain the flowering shrubs within certain  dimensions?

Answer: We sometimes wish to prune  flowering shrubs, in order to shape them or keep them within certain  bounds. But we worry that we’ll miss out on this year’s blossoms if we  prune at the incorrect time. Here’s the general rule of thumb to know  when to prune a particular plant.