As freezing temperatures approach, a gardening expert has shared the four plants UK gardeners should leave untouched this autumn to ensure vibrant blooms next spring. Pruning involves the selective removal of plant parts such as branches, buds or roots to improve plant health, control growth and encourage flowering or fruiting, usually concentrating on dead or declining sections.
The guidance is crucial for UK gardeners, as cutting back certain plants at the wrong time can lead to fewer flowers next year, while leaving others untouched can offer protection against severe weather conditions. Alex Dobson, garden and outdoor space specialist at Charles & Ivy, has pinpointed the four particular plants that ought to be left well alone this autumn.
Hydrangeas and flowering shrubs
Dobson suggests that if you have mophead or lacecap hydrangeas in your garden, it is best to hold off pruning them in autumn. These varieties may already be forming next year's flower buds on their stems, so cutting them back now could mean fewer flowers next summer.
The gardening specialist adds: "Leave the faded flowerheads in place over winter and remove any dead or damaged growth in spring."
For lilac and forsythia, the outdoor expert advises waiting until they have finished flowering before pruning them. Both shrubs develop their flowers on branches that have grown over the previous year, so cutting them back in autumn could remove next spring's flower buds. Once the blooms have faded, they can be trimmed back without compromising the following year's display.
Penstemons and ornamental grasses
Penstemons, while stunning, can be vulnerable to cold conditions, particularly in gardens prone to frost. The gardening expert advises: "In Autumn, leave the stems in place over winter to help protect the base of the plant. In spring, once the worst of the cold has passed, remove any dead or damaged growth."
Ornamental grasses, while not strictly plants, also ought to be left unpruned during autumn. Although they may look untidy when their foliage turns brown, there is no need to cut them back straight away.
The outdoor expert recommends leaving them undisturbed throughout winter, allowing them to continue offering shelter to wildlife during the harshest months of the year. He also suggests holding off until early spring before cutting back grasses that die off over winter, making room for fresh growth.
