Prune garden shrubs at the right time

Pruning puts many gardeners off because it is easy to cut at the wrong time and lose a year of flowers. The key is knowing whether a shrub flowers on this year's growth or last year's. This guide gives you a reliable method for most common garden shrubs.

Step by step

1. Identify the shrub and when it flowers

   Find the plant's name from a label, a plant app or a local garden centre. Note whether it flowers in spring or early summer, or in late summer and autumn, as this decides when to prune.