Hydrangea macrophylla

‘Lady in Red’ is a classic lacecap hydrangea (try ‘Geoffrey Chadbund’ if you can’t get this variety). It’s an old wives‘ tale that you should leave the dried flowers to protect the bush from winter frost. Off with their heads! Cut back to a set of fat buds. Don’t touch the new stems that have yet to have flowers; instead thin the bush a little, fearlessly taking out the odd geriatric branch right down at the ankles. Mopheads are pruned in the same way.