Although May is a time when everything starts to bloom, it’s also when we need to be a little harsh and cut some varieties back that have already or are currently flowering.
It can seem counter-intuitive because cutting back plants in winter is more considered, but often giving some a little attention now will help their shape and growth for the future.
What you’ll need
1. Lilac
Lilac is a beautiful variety that’s currently blooming right now. The scent is heavenly, and the large conical-shaped heads are a joy to have in your garden.
Pruning lilac varieties is key to shaping them for next year. ‘Once the blooms drop, get in there and take out a third of the oldest stems at the base. Leave it too long, and you’re unwittingly removing next year’s buds,’ says Julian.
Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert from Easy Gardening Irrigation, agrees, ‘Pruning in May also provides you with the perfect opportunity to remove damaged, diseased or crossing branches which enables light and air to freely reach the centre of the plant helping to keep it strong and healthy.’
Gardening Express has a dwarf Korean lilac tree for £29.99; they are ideal for a patio in a container, or plant in your borders. If you prefer a white variety, then check out Amazon’s Plant Theory Madame Lemoine common lilac, £29.99, which comes in a three-litre pot.
2. Magnolia
One of those first signs of spring, the ancient magnolia gives us a spectacular show of large, fragrant flowers in mainly whites and pinks.
Late May is ideal for light shaping and a touch of pruning. ‘Each year, once flowering has finished, identify some of the older stems that can be removed without having much impact on the shrubs as a whole,’ says Nick. ‘The amount removed depends very much on the growth rate of each type of shrub, as well as the height you want it, but it is usually about a fifth of the stems.’
Get organised and order a classic-looking magnolia plant now – Dobies have the magnolia x soulangeana variety, which is a popular one to opt for. You can buy a three-litre pot for £34.99. For a deeper pink variety, the magnolia Susan from Gardening Express is a good buy at £17.99.
3. Roses
What can we say about roses? Oh-so-lovely, and early May is when your garden roses will be starting to bloom.
To keep them at their best for as long as possible, you need to give them a little prune.
Tim Clapp, Verve’s head of range and qualified botanist, says May pruning should be a ‘light touch’ only, as rose pruning is more of an autumn job. ‘Remove spent flowers to encourage more new flowers to grow and flourish. Roses lie dormant for a good few months, so before the new rose comes through, deadhead your buds.’
Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director at LBS Horticulture, agrees, ‘When pruning roses, you should focus on removing dead, damaged and diseased wood, but avoid cutting back the plant too harshly as you may remove emerging flower buds or delay blooming.’
Rose Scentifall Lemon is a lovely variety for container gardens as it has a cascading nature and a lovely scent. You can buy a 9cm pot from Suttons for £14.99. A good rose climber variety is Zephirine Drouhin that comes in a mid-pink and has fragrant double flowers, buy from J. Parkers for £6.99 for a single two-year-old bare root plant.
4. Rhododendrons and azaleas
Rhododendrons and azaleas come from the same family, so if you have the latter too, then the same pruning advice applies. Azaleas are like a smaller version.
‘May is a great time to prune rhododendrons, as it is usually after they have finished blooming,’ suggests Richard. ‘Pruning the plant immediately after it has flowered will reduce the risk of cutting off the following year’s blooms, as rhododendrons set buds in summer.’ Then, in late summer, you can take cuttings from your rhododendron bush.
‘Azaleas are lovely, low-maintenance, compact shrubs which provide your garden with a vibrant splash of colour in spring,’ says Lucie. You just have three weeks once the flowers finish to prune, making sure when you do to cut cleanly just above a node so that you encourage new stems to grow, as it’s these which will develop and are where the flower buds are formed for the following year.’
For a subtle display, consider the Annika rhododendron from Gardening Express. It has vivid pink blooms and glossy dark leaves, £29.99 for a five-litre potted plant. Looking for a punchy look? The Azalea Geisha orange variety is bold, beautiful and perfect for a rockery, from £29.99, Dobies.
5. Lavender
‘To prevent lavender from becoming old and woody, resulting in a sparse plant with fewer blooms and a shorter life, you need to give it a light prune in spring and a hard prune in late summer, early autumn,’ says Lucie.
A popular cottage garden plant, lavender is a super plant that provides scent as well as being a haven for bees and other insects. However, it can get unruly quite quickly.
Julian agrees, ‘As the new growth gets going, give the whole plant a light prune; you’re aiming to take off roughly a third of that fresh green growth, tidying the shape and stopping it from flopping open at the centre. Lavender won’t regenerate from old wood the way most shrubs will. If a plant is already very woody and open, the honest answer is that no amount of pruning will rescue it.’
B&Q’s Angustifolia lavender comes in a six-pack for £17.99. It’s ideal for borders, containers and use in a sensory garden.
For a more compact look with deep purple-blue flowers, check out the Munstead variety from Gardening Express, 12 for £7.50 each. It’s great for creating a lavender hedge.
A little extra care and attention at this time of year will pay dividends. Pruning properly not only adds shape and keeps unruly stems tidy, but it’s also good for checking for pests and disease.
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