Lavender is a garden favourite for its fragrant blooms and scented foliage, providing colour for months. According to gardening expert Monty Don, a simple annual pruning is key to keeping plants healthy and avoiding woody, leggy growth.
In a blog post, Don advised pruning lavender as soon as the flowers start to fade, between midsummer and the end of August. 'Do not wait for the seed heads to form or the flowers to turn brown,' he said, as this allows maximum regrowth time before winter.
Don recommends cutting back vigorously to a neat shape, ensuring some fresh shoots remain on each stem. Lavender often fails to regenerate from old wood, so careful pruning is essential to avoid damaging the plant.
For watering during warmer months, Don suggests watering thoroughly but infrequently, ensuring proper drainage. Water in the early morning or evening to prevent evaporation. Established plants in the ground need less frequent watering than newly planted containers.
Summer is also ideal for cutting long grass, watering plants deeply, creating new strawberry plants, and pruning fruit trees.
