The question of dormant pruning has come up, so here is an explanation as to what it is and why it could be helpful. The question really came up because Mariani quoted some homeowners for dormant pruning, and the wanted to know if dormant pruning was already included in what we contract Mariani for?
As Sarah McMaster explains, dormant pruning is not part of a regular landscape maintenance contract. Seasonal pruning is, but dormant pruning is different.
Seasonal pruning is done during the growing season to keep the plant from overhanging a sidewalk or to prevent it from getting shaggy or overgrown, or to snip off the flowers after their finished. But there is only so much you can cut back a shrub during the growth season without doing damage to the plant.
Dormant pruning is done when the plant is dormant. Because it is dormant, you can cut more off without harm. This is a time when Marini would inspect the plant shape. When you can see the skeleton, you can selectively remove branches or stems that are growing in the wrong direction or interfering with other branches or remove ones that are damaged or diseased. You can also reduce a plants size with significant wood removal. This also serves to rejuvenate the plant and encourage new growth the next spring.