Summer pruning rejuvenates plants and encourages new growth.
Early blooming perennials (late spring and early summer) stop growing once the flowers are spent. A summer pruning session that removes old stems and dead leaves will often restart the plant's growth. So instead of ending up with brown leaves in the middle of your summer garden, you'll often have greens replacing the old ones.
Summer pruning encourages repeat flowering. Obviously, perennials bloom every year, but the term "re-blooming" refers to having two consecutive blooming periods in the same growing season. Plants like nepeta, yarrow, and hardy geraniums often get new blooms after pruning. Extending the flower season is a great way to get more fun out of your gardening.
Here are some of the most popular perennials you can prune in summer.
1. English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
First, start by making sure that what you are growing in your garden is actually English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) and not French lavender (Lavendula stoechas). This is especially important if you live in a temperate or cold climate, because the French variety (sometimes called Spanish lavender, due to its Mediterranean origins) will not rebloom if you prune it in the summer.
2. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
As a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), lemon balm has the same fast-growing form, although it usually does not spread by sending underground shoots. So if you love the taste and aroma of mint, but want to avoid the upkeep that comes with planting grass, lemon balm is a good compromise.
3. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow plants, especially mature plants, can be a bit messy, unruly and often flexible. Yarrow is an excellent plant for pollination, but once the flowers are spent, they hang on the plant for several weeks before they finally begin to dry and fall off. Some gardeners prefer the sculptural form of dry yarrow, but it is more attractive in a winter garden than mixed with flowering plants in my summer borders. This is why I give yarrow a mid-season prune.
4. Mint (Mentha)
I'm a big fan of mint and all the ways you can use it in the kitchen. So at any given time, I have at least three or four varieties of mint growing in my herb garden. Currently, Moroccan mint, peppermint and green-apple mint are growing happily in the garden. But even if I try to keep consuming it, my mint gets a little out of hand. That's when I knew it was time for the Sectators to come out of the shed.
5. Henna Anise (Agustache phoeniculum)
When I talk about henna anise with other gardeners, I like to refer to it as the "hidden plant." This is because, despite its name, it is neither hyssop (Hysophus officinalis) nor anise (Pimpinella anisum). But I don't think it's very attractive to call it Augustach. It is, in fact, a member of the mint family, although it does not have an invasive propagation method.
6. Catmint (Nepeta)
If neighborhood cats roam your backyard, you know that keeping your Nepeta under control during the summer won't be a problem. Most (if not all) cats are attracted to the scent of mint leaves and are happy to frolic around in them once the leaves appear in the spring.
7. Lantana
Lantana is a fast-growing plant with a consistent, reliable flowering pattern. If you have a lot of garden space that needs filling, lantana is a safe bet. But this means that if you're gardening in a small radius, your lantana will quickly take over the allotted space.
Fortunately, you can re-prune lantana several times during the summer, removing no more than the top third of the plant each time. Lantana is an excellent food for butterflies and hummingbirds, so do not remove flowers that are still in bloom.
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