Divide and rule

All those clump-forming spring-flowering perennials need to be thanked for their efforts by giving them a bit of TLC and getting them in the mood for the rest of the year.

One of the prettiest and most accommodating is the pulmonaria, or lungwort, which this year has been a riot of colourful flowers on top of mounds of low-growing, spotted foliage. And it’s the latter which is crying out for attention.

Cut down this foliage; be clinical – take it right to the ground because most of it will now be looking very second-best and well past its sell-by date. And within a matter of weeks, plenty of fresh leaves will have sprouted.

And if there are any overgrown clumps, lift them and divide them and then plant them in new spots or even containers. The beauty about the lungwort is that it will rapidly establish to produce a first-rate, ground-hugging weed suppressor.

The only potential downside to this lovely little plant is its hairy leaves, which can be a skin irritant. So, when working with pulmonarias, wear gloves.

Elsewhere, cut back aubretia (and alyssum and arabis) which have finished blooming and which tend to get straggly and untidy as the year progresses. Again, show no mercy – trim them hard back to encourage fresh, compact, growth.

And while you’re in the mood, say another big thank-you to the spring-flowering primulas for all their efforts in making the early months of the year just that bit more colourful. Remove most of the old and tired foliage and throw it into the compost bin. Then lift established clumps and split them (it may take quite a bit of effort, but persevere). Then replant them in a reasonable soil. Water well to help re-establish each division. Next year, they should bloom better than ever.

Finally, if you’ve got any energy left, dig up past-its-best spring-flowering bedding like wallflowers, and re-energise the soil in which they have grown. This usually means lightly digging in a slow-release organic fertiliser to help summer bedding plants get off to a good start.