Reports in the past 24 hours suggested that the UK had recorded its biggest ever wave, at Penzance in Cornwall. It later turned out to be an anomaly. But how do you measure the height of a wave, asks Tom Heyden.
Trim away dead or damaged parts in spring. If you live in a place with heavy snows and harsh weather, your lavender bush is likely to lose a few branches over the winter. Examine the shrub in early spring, before it begins producing new shoots. Remove any broken or rotting branches to make way for new growth.
They are also surprisingly drought tolerant and work equally well in cottage gardens and formal gardens. Ornamental grasses die each fall with the onset of cold temperatures. If you allow them to remain unpruned you will have the joy of watching sunlight catch the frost that will trace the stems and seed heads.