Question
I have three holly scrubs that are now past their third winter.  This spring most of the leaves on all of them are reddish brown and look dead.  The base of each plant has a few green leaves. Should I trim them down almost to the ground?  The scrubs are zoned for where I live in MN. Thanks for your help.

Answer
Your shrubs have experienced a die back to where your new growth is coming out.  You should trim these shrubs back to where the new growth is and follow up with a good time released fertilizer, Osmocote is a good one for shrubs.  It also would not hurt to inspect these shrubs closly to see if you have an insect infestation of some kind.

Check your soil and make sure there is no standing water or the ground is not compacted.  If so you can aerate it with a rod or long screw driver.

James