It needs a Dragon

I have a lowering feeling that some of the more wretched looking shrubs would have been a lot better if they had been pruned last year. There is one identifiable Dogwood ,dragon touched at the top. There are some other shrubs which might also be Cornus and perhaps should have been... Am lucky enough to have a gardener who comes for a few hours a week. He is in his 70s and came with the house. He cuts the grass and grows veg ,taking some for himself as well as being paid. He prunes fruit trees ,but doesn't prune shrubs.Once upon a time several owners ago the house had an owner who was a very keen gardener.She spent apparently many many hours a day gardening.Aah! I love what pops up all of its own accord but I am not up to making the garden look well groomed.It looks like a University lecturer permanently rumpled. Its time consuming enough in the summer watering, and picking, cleaning, and cooking what grows to eat. Nelson, (the gardeners name is Nelson and he is from Norfolk),spoke with great enthusiam about cabbages the other day. I arranged my face so that I looked delighted and ordered some anti slug nematodes.