Monty Don warns that gardeners should prune this plant immediately or risk disaster.

Fall is a crucial time to prepare your outdoor spaces to thrive next spring, and what you do with one plant could determine how it blooms in 2025.

From cozy balconies to expansive gardens, autumn tidying up and careful pruning can now make all the difference during the blooming season.

Renowned gardening expert Monty Don has shared timely advice on how to ensure those beloved flowers are in tip-top shape.

The iconic climbing rose, with its showy spreading flowers and delicate petals, adds architectural elegance to gardens across the UK.

But without proper fall care, gardeners may face problems such as winter damage, poor growth and poor appearance next season.

Don advised: “Prune climbing roses.

“Climbing roses bloom on shoots grown that same spring, so they can be heavily pruned now.”

He explained that pruning at this time of year helps protect the plants from winter and paves the way for a period of vibrant flowering next year.

Although pruning of climbing roses can be done until February, starting early gives the plant a better chance of establishing a strong structure before the colder months arrive.

Don advised gardeners to wear protective gloves and goggles as pruning roses can be a challenging task.

The first step is to cut the old wood down to the ground and then remove any damaged or intersecting branches that could cause problems down the road.

After that, he recommends placing the main stems horizontally, securing them to a trellis or support structure with strong wire to provide winter stability.

Side shoots—the previous year’s flowering stems—should then be trimmed back, leaving a few leaves to encourage healthy regrowth.

Don explained, “The effect should be a pattern of mostly horizontal growth with pruned side shoots running the entire length.”

This careful configuration helps the power plant save energy, withstand winter weather and avoid potential damage.

Failure to care for climbing roses this season could result in a “cluttered mass of weak, branchy stems” with limited flowering potential, a gardening expert has warned.

Overlapping stems are also prone to dieback and can cause fungal infections that threaten the overall health of the plant.