GINA PARKINSON tidies, trims and enjoys the autumn bounty of the mophead hydrangea.

THERE’S a lot of cutting back being done in our gardens at the moment. Final hedge trimming, perennial pruning and shrub tidying all helps to make the outside look a little tidier.

It is neither necessary nor possible to keep everywhere pristine, especially with all the autumn leaves dropping to the ground. This fall will soon be over, but there is no problem in leaving a covering on the soil and in forgotten corners. They provide a perfect place for small garden creatures to shelter under over the next few months.

Shrubs such as Buddleia davidii benefit from a November trim. Taking the stems down by between one third and a half will help to prevent wind damage during winter, while leaving enough growth to protect the lower part of the plant from frost. Once spring arrives, they can be cut back further if needed to keep this vigorous plant species in check.

The mophead hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla, is looking wonderful at the moment. Of all the species in this family it seems to be that this one gives the best autumn colour.

Leaves become tinged with deep red and the blooms change from their summer pink or blue to hues of green, red and turquoise depending on their original colour.

On a mature plant some of the blooms can be cut and brought indoors for a dramatic dried flower display. Our young shrub has only three or four flowers, so they have been left on the plant this year.

Instead, I am fortunate to be able to harvest a bunch of stems from my mother-in-law's two huge hydrangeas that fill her front garden. The colour will gradually fade over the year in the house and be ready to replace this time next year, when my own plant may be big enough to use.

Apart from the harvesting of blooms, Hydrangea macrophylla doesn’t need to be pruned at all at this time of year. New buds are already fatly forming along the stems of the plant; these will be protected from frost by leaving the dried flowerheads in place. Once the danger of frost is over next spring, the old blooms can be cut off by which time the shrub will be jumping into growth.


In the veg garden

WE HAVE a large gooseberry bush in the veg patch which hasn’t been pruned since we moved here four years ago. It is very productive but it was noticeable this year that the branches were too long to support the fruit and were weighed almost to the ground at the height of its season.

So this autumn it is to be pruned.

Gooseberries are very spiny so a decent pair of gloves is essential, as is a sharp pair of good secateurs and possibly some long-handled loppers to get into the centre of a congested shrub.

The first thing to do is to remove any dead or diseased stems. Then a few of the oldest branches can be taken out of the centre of the plant to prevent congestion and allow free circulation of air.

Finally, any long branches that have struggled to hold fruit can be cut back to just above an outward-facing bud. This can be done annually to keep the plant in shape with plenty of new growth.


Cuttings set to spruce up gardens

SOME shrubs can be propagated from hardwood cuttings taken in November so now is a good time to get on with this garden task.

It’s worth trying this simple technique with specimens such buddleia, cornus, privet, cotoneaster and euonymous, to name just a few. It is also a good way to create numerous plants for a new hedge.

Choose stems that are about the thickness of a pencil and around 30cm long. Remove any soft growth at the top of the stem using a slanting cut which will allow rain to run of the cutting; the bottom end of the stem can have a straight cut.

Make the cut at the top just above a bud and the one at the base just below a bud.

Dig a trench deep in a sunny, well-drained part of the garden with one of the sides being vertical.

Put a layer of sharp sand in the bottom to improve drainage, then line up the cuttings so they lean against the vertical side. They need to be 8cm-15cm apart and have about two thirds of their length below the surface of the soil.

The trench can then be filled in and firmed down with the surface of the soil then loosened a little to allow rain to soak through. Water and label.

The cuttings can be checked this time next year when they should have developed a good root system and be ready for planting into their permanent spot. They may need watering during hot, dry spells.

Evergreen or semi evergreen cuttings should have their lower leaves removed before planting into the trench.


Gardening TV and radio

Tomorrow 8am, BBC Radio Humberside, The Great Outdoors. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart.

8.30am, BBC2, Gardeners’ World. Monty Don is at Longmeadow in the last of the series.

9am, BBC Radio York, Julia Lewis. Gardening news and features from around North Yorkshire.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther with Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. The team of horticultural experts advise gardeners from Cambridge.

Friday 3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Panellists Bob Flowerdew, Christine Walkden and Matthew Wilson answer the horticultural questions from an audience in Leeds. Eric Robson is the chairman