How do you prune a Lavatera plant?

Perennial lavateras are notoriously short-lived, and pruning them properly can extend their lives.

Immediately after flowering cut back all the flowering stems to prevent the plant setting seed. Setting seed tends to weaken the plant and may reduce its lifespan. This also reduces wind-rock in the winter. Water it with a balanced fertiliser.

In early spring cut the branches back to a foot from the ground and remove any dead branches, scatter a granular fertiliser around it, rake it in and give it a thorough watering. These fertilisers last a whole season. Scatter some slug pellets around it, as slugs and snails love the new shoots.

When you prune the plant take some cuttings of non-flowering stems 3-4 inches long - they root very easily.

If you want to have especially large flowers, you can cut back the flowering stems a little in early June, but don't overdo it.