Winter is a season of rest in the garden, but it is also a time for quiet work. When the leaves have fallen and the stems are bare, the structure of a plant reveals itself. This is the moment to step in with your secateurs and begin shaping the season ahead.
Two of the most common questions I’m asked in winter are how to prune hydrangeas and when to cut back roses. There are many ways to do both, and a bit of personal preference comes into it, but here’s what works for me.
Hydrangeas
I leave my hydrangeas standing through most of winter. The spent blooms turn papery and faded, and I love the way they catch the light on low-slung afternoons. They offer structure when much of the garden has slipped into sleep, and shelter for overwintering insects as well.
By mid to late August, I begin pruning. I start by removing any dead or broken wood, then step back to look at the overall shape. My goal is to keep a healthy, open structure with a mix of old and new wood.
For mophead and lacecap hydrangeas, I cut back to a pair of healthy buds lower down the stem, usually about one-third of the way from the tip. It’s important not to cut too far back, as they flower on old wood. If you remove all of last season’s growth, you may lose this year’s blooms.
With paniculata and arborescens types, which flower on new wood, you can be more generous. These can be cut back more deeply to shape and control size.
Be sure your tools are sharp and clean. Pruning is a small wound to a plant, and the cleaner the cut, the better it heals.
Roses
Roses are another plant I hold off pruning until mid to late winter. I prefer to wait until the coldest part of the season has passed and the risk of frost damage is lower.
Start by removing any dead wood. You’ll know it by the brown, dry centres when you make a cut. Then remove any stems that are crossing or rubbing against each other. The aim is to open up the centre of the plant so that light and air can move through freely.
After that, give the rose a tidy haircut. I usually cut back by about one-third to one-half, depending on the age and vigour of the plant. Make your cuts just above an outward-facing bud, and angle the cut so water runs off.
It doesn’t need to be perfect. Roses are forgiving. The more important thing is to give them a reset and encourage strong, healthy growth in the coming season.
Perennial Flowering Plants
By mid to late winter, most herbaceous perennials will have finished their display and died back. I wait until then to do a thorough cut back. Plants like salvia, nepeta, rudbeckia and echinacea benefit from a tidy-up at this time of year.
For salvias, I cut down to a set of healthy buds near the base of the plant. If the variety is tender, I leave a little more growth for protection until the danger of frost has fully passed. It’s helpful to watch for where the new shoots are emerging and cut just above those.
For larger clumping perennials, I remove all the spent stems close to the ground, being careful not to damage the fresh new growth coming up from the base.
Winter pruning of perennials helps clear space, encourages strong new shoots, and keeps things from becoming woody or tangled over time. But just like with roses and hydrangeas, I wait until the frostiest part of winter has passed before reaching for the secateurs.
A Quiet Task, A Fresh Start
There is something satisfying about pruning. It’s a task that calls for attention and restraint. You are shaping something not just for today, but for the months ahead. It may not look like much in August, but come November, the garden will be full again.
And it starts with a few well-placed cuts.
