Garden plants that must be pruned in October to encourage 'maximum' flowers and growth

Pruning - which involves selectively removing parts of a plant to promote better growth - can also enhance the look of a garden by reducing messy shrubs and flowers.

It's an all-year task, with specific shrubs suited for October pruning. In his blog, Monty Don advises: "Prune climbing roses. Climbing roses flower on shoots grown the same spring so they can be pruned hard now. Start by removing any damaged or crossing growth or any very old wood which can be pruned right back to the ground.

The main stems should be fanned out at an equidistance as horizontally as possible, tying them to wires or a trellis. "Then all the side shoots growing from these main stems, which produced this year's flowers, can be reduced to a short stub or a couple of leaves." Ensuring everything is securely tied will prevent winter damage, and pruning your climbing roses now promotes "maximum" flowering potential, reports the Express.

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Additionally, Crocus experts suggest: "Boston ivy and Virginia creeper will need new shoots tying into their supports for the first couple of growing seasons after planting. Once established, prune anytime from now until Christmas to keep the plant within bounds, attending particularly to stems threatening windows, guttering, or roofs.

"Old and neglected plants respond well to severe pruning and can be cut back to plump buds about 1m from the ground at this time of year." Buddleja davidii, commonly known as the butterfly bush, is usually given a hard prune in spring, but the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) advises that gardeners can chop it back by half now to tidy up the shrub and reduce wind rock.

Other shrubs like Cornus alba and Lavatera can also benefit from a similar half-pruning now, with a follow-up trim when spring arrives.