First, the azalea has dormant buds all along the stems just under the bark - you can cut it back anywhere that pleases your eye and it should sprout from just below any cut you make. But, it's too late to prune this year without losing next years flowers, and you could experience winter damage in your zone to new growth you promote now. Prune in Spring immediately after flowering for best results, although other than occasional shaping, regular pruning isn't required of either azalea or rhododendron - if they've been correctly sited and allowed the correct amount of space.

Hedge type pruning of rhododendrons doesn't work well. He hasn't killed them if they were healthy to begin with, but like the azaleas, any new growth coming from dormant buds may not have time to harden off before cold temperatures - takes approximately a month for dormant buds to grow on small limbs and about 10 weeks on tall main branches. These shrubs also set their flower buds now for next seasons blooms so flowering has been delayed a year.

Unlike azaleas, growth buds on rhododendrons form only in the leaf axils (where leaf joins stem). To perform minor shaping of your rhododendron, make your pruning cuts just above a leaf rosette (anything higher is going to leave a dead bare stub above new growth). If you have to cut lower than any existing leaves, look for faint rings in the bark where there once was leaves, the dormant buds that you want to stimulate into growth will be found there.

I don't think the previous owners knew anything about either of these bushes, they had 3 or 4 Rhody bushes cramped in the front and they were growing up more then out and the Azalea bush was the leggiest thing I've ever seen.

The Rhody looks horrible now, some of the leaves are turning yellow and there are bare stems sticking up where there once was leaves. I am going to try prunning them back a little better this weekend. There are still some buds on the Rhodys, so he hasn't killed everything, hopefully there will be some flowers in the spring.

This is my first Rhody and Azelea bush, so I guess it's going to be trial and error for the first year or two.

Boy, I would have been tempted to hack your husband off at the knees. I hope he's repentant.

The plants will recover. The main danger now is that the exposed leaves will sunburn if they are in direct sun. You may want to put up a temporary shade until these newly exposed leaves harden off. They should be kept pruned below the windows but with hand pruners, not hedge shears.

If they are in too much shade, they may have problems getting going again. You may want to open up the shade to give them more sun.

Hence, if in too much shade, open it up. If in full sun, give some temporary shade.