Very good tutorial from a professional garden...
I have subscribed to access all the courses so have watched one on interior design and this one with Butter Wakefield who specialises in small garden design. She ...
Louise Brown
Apr 10, 2026
The Art of Gardening at Sissinghurst
Cutting back pulmonaria
with TROY SCOTT SMITH — Head Gardener at Sissinghurst. Garden Writer, Speaker & Lecturer.
Lesson 34 of 56
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This popular perennial is perfect for shady borders, and Troy’s here to show you how to keep it looking fresher for longer.
From the Lesson Workbook
Essential Spring Jobs
Cutting Back Pulmonaria
This popular perennial is perfect for shady borders, and now in mid-April, it's time to start thinking about a trick to keep it looking fresher for longer.
North-facing borders offer lots of opportunities - many plants enjoy these conditions, such as spring-flowering Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare', a robust and reliable cultivar. You can cut this down in mid to late April. If you do it early enough that there's still moisture in the ground, it will grow fresh new foliage and flowers.
- Cut the whole plant down to ground level with secateurs, shears or a herbaceous sickle. Within a couple of weeks there'll be new leaves, and hopefully new flowers later.
- For a group of plants, stagger the cutting back - e.g. one per week - to avoid large holes.
- If it's very dry, you can give the plant a can of water to help it regrow.
The same technique works for many other plants that flower before midsummer, such as Aquilegia, hardy geraniums and Siberian iris.
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Very good tutorial from a professional garden designer
I have subscribed to access all the courses so have watched one on interior design and this one with Butter Wakefield who specialises in small garden design. She has a lovely personality and comes across as ...
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Apr 10, 2026
Time spent well
I love CreateAcademy. I came in for the gardening and floristry courses, but am also watching an interior design one at present. And the photography course is an absolute must, best I've ever done.
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Apr 1, 2026
What a great investment
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Your Instructor
Troy Scott Smith
Head Gardener at Sissinghurst. Garden Writer, Speaker & Lecturer.
Troy Scott-Smith, previously head gardener of Iford Manor and Bodnant garden, now oversees the cherished grounds of Sissinghurst - one of the most famous gardens in England and is designated Grade I on Historic England's register of historic parks and gardens. Coming from a family of committed naturalists, Troy is a seasoned horticulturist, writer, designer and consultant, Troy is also a respected member of the RHS Floral Committee. When he set his sights on the head gardener role, he did so with refreshing candour, speaking passionately of the garden’s need for thoughtful evolution. It is a mark of the National Trust’s forward-thinking spirit that they embraced his vision, inviting him to guide this historic landscape into a compelling new chapter.
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