Lots of our shrubs flower early in the summer which brings welcome bursts of colour and food for the pollinators. Once the flowers have died off, it is a good time to prune. Take dead heads off roses, cutting the stem to just above the next leaf, either single or spray of leaflets. If you can a light sprinkle of rose food round the base is a good idea, and encourages the bush to reward you with another flush of flowers. Shrubs such as Spiraea, Philadelphus, and Weigela should all be pruned after flowering. This gives you a chance to keep them in a neat shape as they will carry on vigorously growing throughout the summer. Cut out branches that are crossing over each other to keep the plant strong.
If you keep cutting your Sweet Peas before they begin to set seed, they will carry on producing fragrant flowers for a few weeks longer. Once the plants no longer show buds in waiting, if you like to “grow your own” you can allow the last blooms to form seed pods. When they turn brown, pick the pods and make sure they are completely dry before you store them in a cool dry place ready to plant next year.
It is still not to late to plant some lettuce, spring onions or radishes for late summer salads. If you grow nasturtiums, remember the young leaves make a good peppery addition to your mixed leaves!
