Pruning Wisteria in the Spear & Jackson Garden

By

Lee Bestall
Pruning & Cutting
4th July 2017

I can’t believe it...  I’ve been out in the garden for both days this weekend, and it actually feels like I’m on holiday!  The suns been shining and the temperature was warm enough last night to sit out till late. Today I’ve been planting up more of the wicker basket planters, one with 4 dwarf tomatoes called ‘Mini Bell’ and the other with climbing French Beans ‘Cobra’ which I under planted with a dwarf pea called ‘Pint Pot’.  It promises small plants just 30cm high and will crop in around 14 weeks time. A late crop of peas will be a great treat. I’ve also interplanted a few herbs, as I seem to be using more and more in my evening cooking sessions.

The Agapanthus I planted a few weeks ago are really flowering well now, and this week the pink Echinacea (also known as the cone flower) have come into flower.  It’s a beautiful plant and is peering through other grasses and perennials in the border and will continue to flower for a good while yet.  It came through the winter very well, and I presume that it’s the fact that it’s growing in a raised bed rather than in the local heavy clay soil which would have been too wet and cold for it.

 
Tool of the week

Anvil Secateurs - these are 6458RS

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Bypass Secateurs - these are 6659BS

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SECATEURS

Pruning Wisteria

Lee pruning

This week I’m giving the Wisteria on the front of the house its summer prune.  Removing the long whippy growths back to 5 buds will mean that in February when I reduce these same stems back to 2 buds, I should get plenty of flowers next May.  As the plant is relatively newly planted, there are not that many to remove, and I have tied most of them in to the wires to establish a good framework.

The tool for this week is the humble pair of secateurs.  A thing to cherish if you find the right pair.  On this week’s video blog I’ve been looking at the difference between anvil and bypass varieties.  There are loads of different ones to choose from, and I’ll be looking at the different kinds next week. 

But for now, have a great gardening week (and let’s hope the warm days and evenings continue!)

Lee 'The Gardener'

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Lee Bestall

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