Date/Time
Date(s) - 13/02/2026
7:00 pm
Location
Kilmington Village Hall
Categories
On Friday, 13th February, well over 40 members attended our first talk and practical demonstration of the year. The subject was ‘Pruning ornamental plants’ by Gold Club speaker, Malcolm Mills. The Gardening Club is a member of the Gardens Group Gold Club which gives us certain benefits, including one talk a year from one of their experts. Malcolm is the Gold Club’s ‘plantsman extraordinaire’ and he has been associated with The Gardens Group for many years. He is a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker and he made a welcome return.
Malcolm included climbers, hedging and evergreens in his talk but he started by giving some useful tips on the thorny subject of peat-free compost which has received much criticism since its introduction. However, growers are now becoming accustomed to it so he highly recommends Sylvagrow, which is bark-based and although it is expensive, he feels it is worth it. Alternatively, Westland multi-purpose with John Innes, holds the moisture. He recommended buying only 3 bags at a time and storing them in a dry place. Peat-free compost does retain moisture but usually at the bottom so it is better to check underneath a pot before writing off your plants as they will seek out the moisture. Like other composts, peat-free has a variety of uses – for example, for sowing seeds or ericaceous. It is time to accept peat-free compost as peat-based compost is no longer available.
Why do we prune plants? To remove dead or unsightly growth, to encourage fruiting or flowering, to control their size, to manage their shape and to increase sunlight penetration. Use good secateurs for small stems or branches, loppers for bigger jobs and although we use shears for hedges, the leaves can be damaged, so it is better to use secateurs, where possible.
Malcolm offered advice on pruning roses, both shrub, climbing and rambling but that would be another article! The motto for clematis is ‘if it flowers before June, do not prune’ because the early-flowering clematis, such as Clematis montana and Clematis cirrhosa, produce flowers on last year’s growth. Pruning them early in the season removes these buds, whereas pruning immediately after flowering prevents the removal of next year’s blooms.
In the UK, Box has suffered from attacks by the Box Tree Moth but if yours is still healthy, prune on Derby Day in June. If you would like a more resilient hedge in place of Box, Malcolm recommends – Euonymus green spire. Make sure you trim your hedge so that it is wider at the bottom than the top as this will ensure that the light reaches the lower hedge enabling it to flourish. Conifers make good hedging but do not overclip Leylandii as it will weaken it and risk being affected by fungal disease. Thuja plicata Is a good alternative. Beech hedges should be allowed to grow, but take the top out to make them bush out.
Buddleia can be pruned in April; prune Cornus (Dogwood) annually or every two years; Mahonia – prune after it has finished flowering; Camellia should be pruned directly after flowering – lightly prune annually by removing crossing, dead, or crowded branches; Abelia should be trimmed in the winter/early spring before new growth starts as it blooms on new wood.
Deciduous ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus need to be cut back in winter to the base (use shears) but evergreen grasses just need to be tidied up. Rudbeckia, Delphiniums and Phlox should be cut back in December/January. To avoid Lavender becoming leggy, trim back at the beginning of August. Woodland plants such as Jasmine and Honeysuckle should be pruned or they can become out of control.
Members, including some welcome new faces, left feeling that they had learned a lot in a friendly, convivial atmosphere. The Gardening Club’s next meeting on 13th March will be a Kilmington ‘Gardeners’ Question Time when a KGC panel will field questions from the audience. Non-members welcome – £3. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.