Shrubs that flower on the coming year's growth, like the gaunt giant Buddleja, can be pruned now and in the coming weeks. The wood is flimsy and easy enough to cut, so most of the work can be done with loppers and secateurs, with the banana saw coming in handy for a few seconds on stouter shoots.
Slice and saw away, setting the unwieldy but lightweight shoots aside one by one, until the whole thing has been reduced to a roughly even structure of 1in-thick branches, like a rather coarse pincushion. Snip off any spindly shoots, and make a bonfire.
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Vertigo at Victoria Falls, a sunset surrounded by lions and swimming in the Nile: A journey from Cape Town to CairoWhy do we travel and who inspires us to do so? Chris Wallace went in search of answers on his own epic journey the length of Africa.
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A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
