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.
But now is the time to snip off flowers as they fade and to take cuttings that you can grow over the next year or two to replace your lavender if it is beginning to look shapeless and woody. It is always best to take cuttings first thing in the morning while it is cool and the plant has not started to lose water.