PRUNE IT BACK

People get intimidated by pruning, worrying they’ll do something disastrous when, in fact, most plants respond well to a bit of tough love.

There are a few general rules to follow, but if you’re unsure about the needs of a particular plant, find out more about it first – visit the

Royal Horticultural Society website (rhs.org.uk), or ask at your local garden centre.

Use sharp, clean tools, as these will give a neat cut and prevent the spread of diseases. Start by removing dead, diseased or damaged stems, and cut back to just above a bud. You can prune about a third of the plant’s overall size at any one time, leaving enough for it to recover and thrive.

Broadly speaking, for small-leafed plants such as hedges and shrubs, simply trim it to the shape and size you want using shears. Step back as you go to look at it from all angles and avoid a lopsided surprise at the end.

With larger-leafed plants, such as hydrangeas (left), more accuracy is needed to tackle individual stems or branches, so use secateurs. Herbaceous perennials, such as rudbeckia and Verbena bonariensis, can be cut to the ground once they’ve finished flowering, or you can leave the seedheads for birds. Climbers should also be pruned after they’ve finished flowering – you may even get a new set of blooms as a result.