BBC Gardeners' World

Gardeners' World Magazine is the authoritative voice in gardening, the clear market-leader since it launched in 1991. The award-winning editorial includes topical, practical advice in the readers' favourite 'what to do now' section, and regular contributions and features from the top names in BBC gardening. Packed with fresh ideas and clear advice - the innovative approach offers creative, practical and problem-solving solutions to all keen gardeners.

Welcome

Why prune? • Making the right cuts is simple once you know how and when to prune your plants. The results will transform your garden, encouraging longer and better flowering displays as well as adding structure and year-round interest, with well-shaped shrubs and specimen trees. Pruning also helps prolong flowering, so even deadheading will have a big impact on your garden.

Spring • This is the time of year when warmer weather and increasing day length encourages new growth. Sap starts to rise and plant stems lengthen, while winter flowers fade. It’s a time to tidy up for the new season ahead and encourage the best performance and flowering from your plants by controlling their growth with the right pruning techniques. Here we show you what to prune this season and how to tackle key plants.

What to prune in spring • Several types of plants benefit from spring pruning. First are the shrubs that need cutting back hard to promote good growth and colour. These include shrubs grown for their vibrant winter stems or attractive foliage, as well as vigorous flowering shrubs. Evergreen shrubs can be shaped up too, as soon as they finish flowering. Many perennials, including deciduous grasses, should be cut back to get rid of all the dead stems and foliage, before new growth starts.

10 key plants to prune • Discover what to prune in spring as the weather warms up and plants put on new growth. Well-timed pruning will ensure you get the best flowering displays in your borders and containers and prevent plants becoming leggy or top heavy. With vigorous shrubs, it will also help to control growth and stop them outgrowing their space.

Dogwood • Shrubby dogwoods or cornus are prized for their vibrant winter stems. The colour is at its best on young shoots, so the aim of pruning is to encourage plenty of vigorous new growth. This is done by pruning all the stems back hard every year in early spring.

Hydrangeas • Hydrangeas should be pruned in spring, as the old flowerheads must be left in place over winter. This is because they protect the vulnerable buds and stems from cold. Hydrangea stems are particularly prone to freezing, as their cork-like structure holds moisture,.

Fuchsias • Once the risk of hard frosts has passed, you can cut back hardy fuchsias and other ‘sub-shrubs’. These plants are half-way between herbaceous perennials, which die back to ground level in winter, and shrubs, which have a permanent woody structure.

Weigela • These shrubs are deservedly popular, both for their hardiness and sheer volume of blooms. However, like many other spring-flowering shrubs, weigela can outgrow its place in the garden. Still, if pruned annually it can be grown in even the smallest gardens.

Easy pruning jobs for spring • Try out some key pruning techniques with these simple spring tasks. They won’t take long but will make a huge impact in your garden. Removing straggly growth from clematis, cutting back ornamental grasses and doing the Chelsea chop are just a few things you can do now to help boost your plants’ performance and give your garden a spring clean. The results are more than worth the effort.

Spring project Topiary • Best time to do it: late spring-summer

Summer • This is the season to prune shrubs, climbers and rambling roses to keep them well shaped and within bounds. It’s also a key time for...