In your flower garden
Many that flower this summer will benefit from a trim now
As plants start to grow in the garden, many shrubs can be pruned. Avoid cutting any spring-flowering shrubs such as white-flowered spiraeas, forsythia, early clematis and flowering currants or you’ll remove flower buds. Wait until they’ve finished blooming before you prune them.
You should have pruned your roses now but you can still do it if you haven’t had time. Cornus and willow, grown for their colourful stems, can also be trimmed back now.
Among other shrubs, those that need pruning as soon as possible are those that flower after midsummer and that bloom on the new shoots produced this summer. This includes hydrangeas. There are two main groups, and the most popular are the ‘hortensias’ or ‘mophead’ hydrangeas, with colourful blooms in blue, pink, red or white. With a few exceptions, these won’t bloom this summer if pruned hard now. Any snipping should be confined to just removing the old flower heads, that have protected the plants over winter, back to a pair of strong shoots. Cut out weak shoots too.
The ‘paniculata’ hydrangeas are growing in popularity and produce large, conical heads of creamy white blooms in late summer. These should be pruned hard now to promote vigorous, new shoots that will produce the largest flower heads in August. Buddlejas are pruned in the same way. Shrubby potentillas don’t need annual pruning but if they’re overgrown and getting scruffy, they can be cut back hard to promote new growth and will flower this summer.
TOP TIPS
Plant out sweet peas
Because they tolerate a little frost, sweet peas are among the first annuals we can plant out in spring. Prepare the soil by forking in some organic material. Place the canes, sticks or twiggy stems that will provide support, making sure they are secure enough to support the weight of the plants when fully grown. Then plant the sweet peas, water them in well to settle them and protect them against slugs and snails which will attack the tender new shoots.
Top up bark paths
