Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has shared some practical advice for gardeners as he opened up about a type of plant that we should address before winter
Matt Davies Trendswatch Reporter
15:57, 27 Sep 2025
Monty Don has advised gardeners to “clip them now”(Image: Getty)
Monty Don has urged gardeners to “clip them now” as he revealed details about a “really important” type of plant we should tackle before winter arrives. During the latest episode of BBC Gardeners’ World, the renowned horticulturalist was seen trimming a phillyrea bush (phillyrea angustifolia) with shears, something he confessed had become one of his most cherished evergreens.
Monty observed that the plant, which belongs to the olive family, produces white fragrant flowers during spring, “copes very well” in challenging weather conditions, particularly heat and drought, and grows denser the “more you clip it”.
He also outlined how the evergreen works well for cloud pruning, a Japanese technique for training trees and shrubs so you can shape them to look like clouds, but warned us that we’re now nearing a period when his garden will die back.
Nevertheless, Monty also revealed that we can carry out a particular job now that will ensure “important” evergreens will “barely grow” during the chilly winter period.
Monty could be seen snipping a phillyrea bush (phillyrea angustifolia) (Image: Getty)
He said: “It lends itself to cloud pruning, but won’t be long before all this (gesturing to his wider garden) dies back, and the garden is looking a bit stark. And that’s where clipped evergreens, be it yew, box, holly, lonicera or phillyrea like this, start to become really important.
“So, if you clip them now and get them into the shape you want, they’ll barely grow throughout winter, hold that shape, and give you winter green, which is really important, and winter structure.”
In a blog post, Monty highlighted some of the garden plants that need pruning in September, along with other essential tasks for this month.
Starting with lavender, Monty pointed out that this fragrant plant should be pruned annually to “avoid woody, leggy plants”. He advised cutting back to create a tidy shape, but leaving some of the new shoots intact.
These shoots will “grow fast and provide an attractive and healthy cover”, protecting the plant over winter and laying the groundwork for next year’s flowers.
Monty said we can perform a task that will mean “important” evergreens will “barely grow”(Image: Getty)
The green-fingered presenter also turned his attention to shrub roses, which reportedly should be trimmed to generate the conditions required for more robust growth.
Regarding gallicas, English roses, albas, or hybrid perpetuals, Monty stated these varieties are “best simply trimmed with shears any time this month”.
He suggested: “Do not worry about the position or angle of the cuts, but clip away all long and straggly shoots as though you were trimming a hedge. Leave a compact, slightly domed bush that is about two-thirds of its former size.”
Lastly, when it comes to summer-fruiting raspberries, September is the time to cut down the brown canes to ground level (making sure the new canes stay put).
Gardeners were advised to trim them down to the six strongest shoots, with the remaining ones securely tied up for the following year.
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