Spring

Tidy up previous years dead herbaceous material, leaving evergreen herbaceous plants such as Hellebores untouched.
Feed the garden with a general-purpose fertilizer such as Growmore unless stated otherwise in the maintenance plan. A * denotes a balanced rose fertilizer.
NB Do not feed the water plants.
Late spring, spread a mulch such as garden compost, or composted leaves or bark, 5 cm deep around plants.
Deadhead spring bulbs, & feed foliage. Allow foliage to die down naturally.

Plant Name	What to do
Bergenia	Deadhead after flowering.
Campanula	Stake if necessary.
Ceanothus	Cut out dead wood, cut back side shoots after flowering.
Chaenomeles	Cut back side shoots after flowering to 2-3 buds to keep plant trained to fence.
Clemitis alpina and Clemitis macropetala	* Late spring. Prune after flowering, remove dead or damaged stems and cut back growth that has outgrown its allotted space.
Clemitis jackamani Clemitis Perle d’Azure Clemitis viticella’Etoile violette’	* Early spring. Prune before new growth begins, remove all last seasons growth down to a pair of strong leaf axil buds (15 – 30 cm above ground level.
Delphiniums	Sprinkle round with slug pellets to protect from slugs.
Euonymous	When maturing, trim to size you require
Hebe	Cut back if plant gets leggy
Hellebores	Late spring. Cut away last years flower spike to floor.
Humulus lupilus ‘Aureus’	Cut back last years dead shoots
Hydrangea petiolaris	Tie in shoots in early years. Keep growth back to fence.
Jasminium nudiflorum	After flowering cut back hard & tie in new shoots.
Lavandula	Lightly trim off the flower heads
Penstemon	Clip all growth down to 10-15cm from ground.
Phyllostachys (Bamboo)	Once mature, thin out in spring.
Polystichum	Keep well mulched, remove faded fronds when necessary.
Pond	Remove blanket weed. Throw couple of hay bunches into pond. Clear out every few years. Water will green over after its equilibrium has been disturbed, but this should recover naturally over a few weeks. Thin out overcrowded planting baskets. Thin out oxygenators to required amounts.
Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’	*Feed every 3 weeks. Tie in new growth (horizontally where possible) to develop an even looking skeleton. Take out any old or diseased wood
Schizostylis	Plants become congested, so should be divided in spring every few years.
Viburnum	Once mature thin out some older shoots after flowering.
Vinca	Keep back to desired size.

SUMMER

Deadhead plants after flowering to encourage further flowering (except those that develop berries or hips, eg Viburnum opulus.)
Feed the garden as in spring.

Plant Name	What to do
Eichhorna crassipes (Water Hyacinth)	Will die each year & need to be replaced once all risk of frost has gone.
Iberis sempervirons	Trim with shears after flowering
Rose	Deadhead after flowering. Feed every 3 weeks.
Viburnum	Once maturing thin out some older shoots on a rolling programme of renewal.

AUTUMN

Rake leaves and put in large bin bags, tie and store for 1 year to make leaf mould.
Spread well rotted farm-yard manure on areas of soil needing improving.

Plant Name	What to do
Erysimum	Trim lightly after flowering.
Jasminium Officinale	Tie in young shoots to supports. Prune after flowering, cutting back vigorous unbranched stems to a pair of buds. Thin overcrowded growth.
Lavander	Trim lightly after flowering.
Lysmachia	Cut back this year's growth as required.
Nerine & Crocosmia	Mulch to help over winter.
Parthenosisus ‘Henryana’	Tie in young shoots, cut back to fence with shears.
Rose	Once established prune flowered shoots by 2/3rds just above a healthy shoot or bud. Cut out any diseased or spindly growth. Shorten stems where they have outgrown their allotted space.

WINTER

Plant Name	What to do
Cyclamen hederefolium	Mulch after leaves have withered.
Eichhorna crassipes (Water Hyacinth)	Will die as a result of frost & need to be replaced.
Stratiotes aloides (Water soldier)	This will sink to bottom of the pond in the cold months to protect itself!

Annual maintenance plans

Spring

SUMMER

AUTUMN

WINTER