How to prune penstemon 'garnet'

Mid to late spring, once new growth is clearly visible after winter. In spring, cut each stem back to the lowest pair of strong new shoots. Avoid cutting into bare old wood with no visible buds. Deadhead through summer by cutting spent flower spikes back to a lateral bud to encourage a second flush.

Annually (spring cut-back) plus deadheading through summer. Penstemon 'Garnet' is a semi-evergreen subshrub that needs regular pruning to stay bushy and flower well. Lightly tidy in autumn but hold the main cut until spring, when you can see which stems survived winter. Cut back to healthy new growth, removing any frost-killed or woody stems.

In spring, cut each stem back to the lowest pair of strong new shoots. Avoid cutting into bare old wood with no visible buds. Deadhead through summer by cutting spent flower spikes back to a lateral bud to encourage a second flush.