READER’S QUESTION

MY BUDDLEJA is looking very tatty. Can I cut it back?

Mrs E. Moss, Wilts.

YOU can prune Buddleja davidii any time between now and April.

It is also known as the butterfly bush because by late summer it will be covered in butterflies and other pollinators.

The advice is usually to wait until early spring before cutting it back when the risk of frost is lower. But so long as you leave two or three good sets of buds on the stems to protect against any frost damage, you can prune it now.

Take it back to about 45cm high, or a metre if it is at the back of a border.