To rival the Royal grounds of Queen Charlotte in time for the return of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, your garden should not simply be grown, but carefully sculpted. It is important to prune back your shrubs following winter’s chill, so it is ready for the season's grand debut.
For those looking to perfect a "diamond of the season" estate, Mark Dwelly Head Gardener at Audley Villages reveals his tips for springtime pruning:
You must make preparations during the dormancy of winter, before spring blooms. Like those yet to be introduced to the marriage mart, your garden is waiting patiently over winter to make its entrance.
Prune while your garden is dormant to allow you to clearly see each plant’s skeleton, and enables you to make the most strategic cuts. Ensure your tools are sharp, as a clean cut prevents the spread of disease through your garden.
As we wait for the slow-burning late-night dramas to return to our screens, you can make sure your roses are looking their best by getting a head start on pruning now. Focus on cutting stems back to an outward-facing rose bud. This forces growth away from the centre to create an open shape that prevents the messy, tangled look of a common thicket.
Combined with the three D’s: removing anything dead, damaged, or diseased, as only the most robust stems deserve a place in the royal garden. This is a sure fire way to impress your neighbours, friends and family come spring and summertime.
Replicate the beautiful Bridgerton home’s cascading - yet carefully controlled wisteria - by mastering the ‘two-bud’ rule. By cutting back the long, side-shoots of the previous season, to just two or three buds from the main wood stem, this coaxes the plant to divert its energy store solely to creating large, new buds.
Larger stems on an older wisteria can become heavy if grown along a wall, so just keep them tied back. Two prunes per year is ideal for a wisteria - August and February. If you only manage to do one, make sure it's the winter prune.
A Queen’s garden must be prepared for hosting in the summer season, whether that be friends and families or large balls. Use Boxwood or Yew to craft sculpted topiary, supported by cones or spheres which act as anchors. When tending to your hedges, remember to always prune them slightly wider at the base than at the top. This allows sunlight to reach the lower branches, preventing the bare legs look that is so unfashionable in high society.
For a garden that has experienced the weathering of the winter months, hide imperfections through layering. Play with shadow and light by leaving some sections of your shrubs slightly taller. This creates shady nooks that are perfectly suited for a moment to yourself away from the eyes of the ton.
