I have 4 red twig variegated dogwood bushes in 3 different gardens. The 1 in the garden against the house was planted in 2010 to block the view of the air conditioning compressor from the patio. The 3 in the garden along the back fence were planted in 2011. 1 stands alone and the other 2 are planted side by side & have grown together. Over the last year or so all 3 of the back fence garden bushes have overgrown their surrounding plantings. They make the garden look unkempt. The patio bush doesn't have any plantings to overgrow, but still needs to be pruned & shaped like the others. I'm afraid to just jump in and make a mess of things. Thank you.

By now you can start what is called renewal pruning. This is on an annual basis. You remove a portion of the oldest (and also then the tallest) branches down in the crown, perhaps a forth or third of them. After 3 to 4 years you have completely removed the taller branches. For those not removed, use what is called an heading back cut. You can prune done to another bud or small branch leaving a natural growing point. do this randomly, leaving a more natural appearance to the shrub. You can do this after the plants are dormant this fall or before growth begins next spring.