Give your plants the ‘chelsea chop’

Plantsman John Hoyland explains why you might want to take the secateurs to give your late-flowering herbaceous perennials a prune this month

It’s a hugely rewarding pursuit and not as complicated as some people fear

Early-blooming shrubs need a good chop back now to give them time to rejuvenate over the summer months

Start deadheading the flowers in hanging baskets as soon as they fade. Snip them off at the base of the flower stem. This keeps them producing more flowers right through the summer, providing you reme

Grow your own bouquet with a pretty garden cutting patch

Add drama to your garden with potted exotics. Soak the plant, in its original pot, in some not-too-cold water. Then move the new, empty, pot into position; this saves you doing so when it’s full of he