READER’S QUESTION

WE HAVE a beautiful pink camellia, which flowers well every year, but has outgrown its space. Can it be pruned? J. Carlisle, Somerset. CAMELLIAS can certainly be pruned. The best time is after flowering, but before vegetative growth begins. Don’t worry about how hard you cut it back. When pruning, remove crossed branches and thin over-crowded growth.

Avoid clipping the camellia with shears or treating it like a hedge.