Two of the questions I am most often asked at this time of year are when to cut back hydrangeas and how to prune ornamental grasses. That matters because if you cut them back too hard, you remove the flower buds. Hydrangeas can be pruned now, but be careful not to cut them too hard or you could miss this year's flowers. The first distinction to make is between herbaceous deciduous grasses and evergreen grasses. Gather the old stems into a bundle and cut down to 10cm–15cm above ground level, trying not to cut into emerging shoots.

Source: Irish Examiner February 27, 2026 07:50 UTC