Pruning dilemma

I'm struggling with when to prune everything; lavender, clematis, buddleia, roses, etc. We've started to have the occasional frosty morning, but a lot of the above are still sprouting new leaves, one clematis still has flowers on and a lavender has decided to bloom again. I'm aware it's only going to get colder so I'm twixed in between when to cut everything back!

 

Thanks Woo, you are my go-to rose person the big rose doesn't have any flowers on so I'll give that a good trim & do the tidying of the climbers

My garden still seems to think it's still summer!!

 

For buddleja, I'd cut it down to about 1ft or maybe 2ft now. It might still be putting on new growth, but it isn't going to flower any more this year, and most new growth is likely to be towards the top anywhere, whereas usually its normal to encourage the lower growth so that the shrub doesn't become leggy.

Cutting it to 1 or 2ft now serves two purposes. It leaves you something to look at over winter, as often buddleja, although technically deciduous, behaves as an evergreen in the UK climate. The other thing is it reduces the surface area that will be exposed to winter gales, which is important for something shallow rooted like buddleja.

 

Lavender , just after it has finished flowering is best so its very late to cut and tidy up.

But saying that as long as you only cut the stalks down and not in to any of the foliage at this time of year should be ok .

What variety of clematis do you grow as it has a pruning guide from 1 to 3 .
ie if Montana group if you cut hard back now you wont have any flowers in the spring

 

I don't know which clematis it is @Spruce ? It has pale pink, 5-petalled flowers, which are about 2" in diameter

 

does it flower in the spring and have dark reddish purple foliage and smoothed in blooms ?

 

It does, but it's not often smothered in blooms as the previous occupants allowed it to get quite woody

 

its sounds like one of the Montana group does it look like this any of these

http://www.taylorsclematis.co.uk/Clematis-montana/

 

I think it's the Mayleen

 

its a group 1

you can only prune after it has flowered and you can be quite harsh, if you do it now all those branches will have the flower buds in the spring.

Spruce

 

Great news, I feel more comfortable being able to be harsh with pruning I'll cut it back once the last flowers have gone. Thanks Spruce

 

One of my clematis is quite shaggy & I think needs some further tlc. It's very woody against the wall then when it's in leaf, really goes for it & it comes out really far from the wall. I've read online about renovating older clematis, it's a Montana like my other one, am I ok cutting it back lower to the ground & waiting for flowers another time?

 

Hi
I would leave till after its flowered as its a good chance you will kill it , its just too much of a shock , how high is it ? as you could just reduce the height

 

It's on a raised rockery but I think it's about 5 feet? And probably just as much across