April 2025 Editors pick Things to do now

If you have not pruned your Buddleia yet…

This month, gardeners should pay attention to the importance of pruning their buddleia bushes. Buddleia, commonly known as the butterfly bush, is a popular garden shrub valued for its beautiful and fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators. However, if not properly pruned, buddleia bushes can become overgrown and unruly.

The best time to prune buddleia bushes is from March to mid-April. Don’t hesitate to prune them back hard, as they are robust plants. By pruning buddleia in early spring, gardeners can encourage new growth and promote a more compact and healthier plant.

Overgrown buddleia can become straggly and unattractive, diminishing the overall beauty of the garden. Since the flowers grow on new shoots, pruning the bushes back significantly allows you to enjoy the blooms and their fragrance at head height. Therefore, gardeners should take advantage of the opportunity to prune buddleia in early April to ensure the best possible growth and flowering of these beautiful shrubs.