Cut back geraniums which have finished flowering

Cut back geraniums which have finished flowering to boost your chances of a second flush of bloom later this year. Many hardy geraniums have done their thing for some weeks now and the best of the display is over: after this they can look a little scrappy, as long-spent flower stems collapse and swamp neighbouring plants.

Take a pair of shears to them now, though, and you'll find the plants respond with a flourish of fresh green foliage, plus a few weeks later another riot of flowers. The same technique works for other early summer flowering perennials like astrantia, lamium and nepeta, also a little prone to look tatty towards midsummer if left to their own devices.

Remove the stems right down to just a few centimetres above the ground with the shears, following up with secateurs to trim back any stragglers. It seems a bit brutal, and the plant will look a little bare for a while, but don't worry – within a few days it'll start to recover.

Finish with a general purpose liquid feed, such as liquid seaweed, watered on generously and then followed up with a mulch. Then just sit back and look forward to an extra feast of flowers in a few weeks' time.