Hydrangeas are one of the glories of late summer, and H. paniculata is deservedly fashionable in its many lovely forms. It will excel itself if it's pruned hard this month. Having left the papery flowers of last year in position for a bit of winter protection, you should now remove them and reach down into the structure to cut each healthy shoot down to the lowest pair of green buds. This apparently tough regime will lead to renewed vigour and a bumper crop of big flowers in due course.
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Pugs in pearls: Nine times dogs stole the show on publishing’s most famous pageEvery Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
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What everyone is talking about this week: The problem(s) with cyclistsWeek in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
