BUTTERFLY MAGNETS

Buddlejas are flowering shrubs that provide many months of gorgeous honey-scented flowers that attract butterflies, hence their common name of butterfly bush.

The blooms are also loved by other insects and birds.

The compact variety, Buddleja Buzz, grows to around 1m tall, so it’s ideal for smaller gardens and also looks fantastic in large pots. Buddleja flowers can be cut for a vase display, so you can bring their beautiful colour and fragrance indoors too.

Buddleja Buzz comes in the varieties Sky Blue, creamy white Ivory and mid pink Velvet. Buddleja Buzz will tolerate temperatures down to five degrees but can be damaged by heavy frosts.

SUMMER ROSE CARE

Summer can bring heat, hot dry winds and high humidity, which all affect the health and appearance of roses.

And if your roses have developed leggy or sparse growth and spindly stems it’s a sign that your roses need a summer prune.

Summer pruning roses refreshes and reinvigorates the plants and they will respond in a matter of weeks, putting on new growth, ready for another flush of flowers. In fact, you can time rose reblooming if you have a special event coming up, as they’ll flower again around six to seven weeks after pruning.

Rose pruning is not tricky. Trim about 30 per cent of the overall growth and remove any dead or thin stems. You can use hedge shears or a good sharp pair of secateurs.