WITH the days finally set to get brighter and longer, it’s a good time to get into the garden and start prepping for spring and summer. And a former royal gardener, Jack Stooks, has offered up some of his best tips to follow which will save you some time when it comes to doing work later this year.
![[Headshot of Jack Stooks.]](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/jack-stooks-896465104.jpg?strip=all&w=400)
Jack worked for King Charles III at Highgrove for two decades until 2024. Speaking on behalf of JeffBet, he says now is the time to start sowing vegetable seeds, as well as chitting potatoes - which will "soon need to be planted out". He also recommends pruning back wisterias to around three or four buds to encourage growth of new flowers, rather than leaves.
![[Purple wisteria growing on a brick wall.]](https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/g283d0-wisteria-floribunda-violaceae-plena-816390158.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
And you can follow this same tip for other climbing plants such as clematis or roses too. Jack says: "With wisterias, before they start leafing up, you can see the structure of wisterias so any new growth, you can tell going back to the main stem. "You cut them to about three or four buds. You need to cut them right back so they put on flower rather than leaf growth.
"You want them to flower rather than keep producing leaves, hence why we cut them back.". He adds: "The same with any other climbing plants like clematis or roses. "ight now, we should be starting to cut back the dead growth on any plants like this. "Diseased, dying, dead all get cut out before tying in any nice growth you want to keep.
"Rose pruning can be done as well now. All the shrub roses hopefully will have been pruned by now so they have been done before the winter. "If not, you could do the pruning of those now, to cut them back to the shrub you want rather than letting them go completely wild.”.
Jack also warns gardening fans to "proceed with caution" if they're planning to cut back hydrangeas - but says you can do this now. He advises: “Cut back any winter flowering or unruly shrubs that were missed last year and cut back any of your plants that were in your herbaceous borders if you left them till now.
