Ornamental plants

Flower buds may have been removed together with last year's shoots. Early-flowering shrubs usually form buds in advance and are mainly pruned after flowering. Identify the species and cultivar before trimming again. Other causes include insufficient light, bud damage and general weakness; one symptom cannot establish the exact cause.

No. Panicle hydrangeas flower on the current season's growth, while many bigleaf cultivars retain flower buds on previous-year shoots. Read the label and identify the species first. Do not automatically apply hard spring pruning to every hydrangea simply because it has large flower heads.

Assess its mature size and whether it can be transplanted at a suitable time. If the location otherwise suits it, choose pruning according to species and flowering habit, making major changes gradually. Shortening every tip annually does not always solve crowding. Leave space for mature width in new plantings, not just the small container.