5 shrubs to prune in October for healthier growth and better blooms next year

October is a great time to prune some shrubs; it's the last chance to remove old and damaged growth as well as check for disease and pests.

But not all shrubs should be pruned at this time; those not included are flowering varieties like lilacs, rhododendrons and forsythia because they already have next year's buds forming.

So what do we prune? Our wonderful gardening experts have come up with five shrubs to tackle.

1. Buddleia or butterfly bush

Buddleia or butterfly bush – because butterflies adore it – is a deciduous bush that loves sunny spots with well-draining soil.

It comes in the classic dark purple, which we see more often, but also magenta, pink and white.

'Even though this should normally be cut back hard in spring, butterfly bush can be cut back by half now to stop wind from rocking the roots of the plant and making it unstable,' suggests Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director at LBS Horticulture. 'Cut back tall, whippy branches by half, but avoid cutting back the plant lower than three to four feet. Any dead, diseased or broken branches can also be cut back to healthy wood.'

If you fancy having this butterfly-loving shrub in your garden, then have a look at dark purple Black Knight, £15.95 for a 2-3litre pot from Gardening Express.

For a striking two-tone look, we love Flower Power with its pink and orange petals, £22.99 for a 2-litre pot from Dobies.

2. Lavatera

Lavatera, also known as tree mallow, is a fast-growing shrub that flowers between June and September. It has lovely delicate petalled flowers in shades of pink, lilac and white. You can also successfully use it as a cut flower in vases. They can get a bit leggy at this time of year, so do need some TLC.

Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert at Harvst Automatic Watering, explains, 'If you have one of the tall, fast-growing varieties of lavatera which is likely to reach two metres or more in height, such as the popular lavatera x clementii ‘Burgundy Wine’, ‘Rosea’ or ‘Barnsley’, to protect them from wind damage in late autumn and winter it’s important to spend some time pruning them in October.'

According to Lucie, in October you aim to carry out a light tidy, cutting back large shrubs by between a third and a half in height.

3. Climbing and rambling roses

We all love climbing and rambling roses, and this is the time of year when you can neaten them up a little.

'October rose pruning is about tidying up and reducing wind‑rock rather than heavy reshaping,' advises Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres. 'Climbing and rambling roses can be trimmed to keep long shoots off paths, gutters and windows, with the main pruning left for later in winter.'

'Doing this now will prevent winter winds and storms from damaging them,' says Richard. 'Remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood, then cut back this year's side shoots to a few buds from the main framework. Any new, vigorous basal shoots should be tied to the plant's support.'

Wishing you had a climbing or rambling rose? Now is a good time to start researching varieties, as bare root roses can be planted in November. We love Paul's Scarlet climbing rose with its deep red colour, £17.99 for one bare root plant, Thompson & Morgan. A good rambling variety is Open Arms, a repeat bloomer with pale pink petals and prominent golden stamens, £15.95 for a three-litre pot, Gardening Express.

4. Hydrangea

'Hydrangeas can benefit from some attention at this time of year,' Lance Russell, horticultural expert at Thompson & Morgan. 'With them in particular, it’s important to know which type you have before reaching for the secateurs. Many varieties flower on old wood, so a hard autumn prune could mean removing next year’s flower buds.'

Lance advises removing dead, damaged or diseased growth first and concentrating on improving the plant’s shape and removing anything that is crossing or rubbing.'

Hydrangea Annabelle is a really popular variety at the moment; it has large spherical white heads that are really striking. Thompson & Morgan have a 9cm pot for £12.99.

For the classical look, try the Giant Blue Mophead variety, currently £19.99 for one, GardeningExpress.

5. Lavender

'If you haven’t already dealt with your lavender, you can give it a light trim, although avoid cutting hard back into old woody growth,' says Will Williamson, Squire’s Garden Centres horticultural expert. 'At this time of year it’s much more about looking at what needs tidying in your own garden rather than pruning for the sake of it.'

Lavender is a great variety to have in your garden; it adds a heavenly scent and the bees adore it. We like the Hidcote variety, currently £5.99 for one at GardeningExpress.

Essential buys for pruning

'October is a good month for giving many shrubs a gentle tidy, but the key is to resist the temptation to cut everything back hard,' advises Lance. 'As temperatures drop, plants are preparing for winter, and some shrubs will already have next year’s flower buds developing.'