Lavender plants can produce an abundance of flowers but they must be cared for correctly (Image: Getty Images) Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice Alan Titchmarsh has shared an essential task for lavender plants that you "must" do or risk having "very few flowers". The gardening pro has a wealth of knowledge and his advice is invaluable when it comes to getting the best out of your plants, including lavender. In a previous chat with Express.co.uk , Alan stated that the one plant gardeners shouldn't be without this summer is lavender. He highlighted their versatility, as they can be grown as neat edgings along a path, around flower beds, or paired with perennials near the front of a border. Read More Related Articles Garden expert shares three 'easy' vegetables to grow and eat this spring Read More Related Articles B&Q shoppers can get a £23 gardening set for under £3 - how to claim deal The gardening guru pointed out that lavender "looks fabulous" with alliums, particularly the large, purple, drumstick variety that are at their peak now. Lavenders not only look and smell good, but they are also useful. You can cut the flowers for a vase indoors, dry them and rub off the individual florets to use as potpourri. While lavender plants are "easy to grow", they "need the right growing conditions" and care, Alan stressed. One specific task owners need to carry out is pruning. He said: "Lavenders aren't difficult plants to look after, but you must prune them. "An unkempt lavender soon turns from a neat, busy youngster into a straggly geriatric with bare, arthritic woody stems, stunted bunches of foliage and very few flowers." Lavender can be dried out and used as potpourri around the home (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) The gardener explained that pruning acts as an "annual rejuvenation treatment" that "prolongs life to keep lavender looming, besides keeping them in shape for better blooms". Gardeners must tailor their approach when pruning different types of lavender and know the optimal time for trimming. The best period to prune lavender is typically late summer or early autumn, once the plant has ceased blooming. However, if necessary, pruning can be done at other times throughout the year. Alan explained that traditional English lavender and its hybrids, which bloom with long spikes in June and July, should receive a gentle trim right after flowering it's crucial to avoid cutting into the old wood as much as possible. Top Trending Stories Today
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SNOW this week easyJet luggage warning Suits star in Scotland Storm Kathleen in Scotland Lavandula stoechas varieties, which begin blooming in May, require consistent deadheading this involves removing each spent flower along with a short stem as soon as they fade, while leaving the rest of the plant intact. By doing so, "they'll keep flowering in dribs and drabs throughout the summer" and into the early autumn. It's important to note that lavender plants do not respond well to severe pruning. As a general guideline, only cut back about one-third to half of the plant's current size. Cutting back more than two-thirds can hinder the plant's recovery. Join the Daily Record's
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