Shrub pruning in Epsom

Shrubs and roses pruned at the right moment, so you don’t lose a year of flowers.

Shrub pruning in Epsom mostly comes down to timing. Cut a forsythia or philadelphus back in winter and you’ve removed this spring’s flowers. Cut a buddleja in midsummer and you’ve wasted the effort. We know which plant wants which month, and we’ll work through a border plant by plant rather than giving everything the same haircut.

Soil matters too. Gardens on the chalk side of town grow lilac, philadelphus and buddleja happily, but lime-hating shrubs like camellias and rhododendrons tend to sulk there. Pruning can’t fix the wrong plant in the wrong ground. It can keep the right ones flowering for years.

Walled gardens and old shrubberies off Chalk Lane

The council’s appraisal of the Chalk Lane conservation area describes large gardens behind high red brick walls, many of them listed. Shrubs and climbers against old brickwork need thinking about. We keep growth off the wall face, take out wood that’s rubbing or pushing into joints, and tie in rather than nail anything new. Overgrown shrubberies in these bigger gardens are best brought back over two or three years. Hard-pruning a third of the old stems each winter keeps the plant strong and stops you staring at bare stumps.

Roses on Epsom clay, and the February prune

Roses do well on the heavier ground west and north of the centre, where clay holds the moisture and feed they like. Their main prune is late winter, around February, just as growth starts to move. Through summer we deadhead to keep flowers coming. Climbers are tied in and pruned in autumn. Left alone for a few years, roses turn leggy and tangled, but most come back well with a couple of seasons of proper attention.

Pruning in Epsom: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

When should shrubs be pruned?

It depends when they flower. Spring and early summer flowerers are pruned straight after flowering, while shrubs that bloom later on new growth are cut back in early spring. We’ll keep track of it for you.

Can you rescue a badly overgrown shrub?

Usually, if it’s done gradually over two or three years. Some shrubs bounce back brilliantly and a few are past saving. We’ll give you a straight answer once we’ve seen it.

Will you cut back a big tree hanging over the garden?

No. Large trees are work for a qualified arborist, and in a conservation area they’re usually protected too. Our shrub pruning services cover shrubs, roses, wall shrubs and hedges.