A wisteria in full flower trained across a brick wall
Follows RHS guidance · for UK gardens

Prune with confidence

Know what to cut, where and when. Ten short video lessons take the guesswork out of pruning shrubs, roses, clematis, fruit trees and hedges.

Photo: Andrew Dunn, CC BY-SA 2.0
50short video lessons
92 minof narrated video
150quick-check questions
220plant flashcards
12months in the pruning calendar
How every lesson works

Watch it, check it, then go and do it

Each lesson takes about ten minutes and ends with a short list of jobs for your own garden.

1

Watch

A two-minute animated video with real plant photos. Every step is drawn on screen as it's explained.

When to prune · 2:00
Last year's stems · This year's…
2

Check

Three quick questions and a sorting drill, with the reason behind every answer.

Forsythia flowers in spring. Prune…
In early spring
Straight after flowering ✓
3

Learn the plants

Flashcards pair common garden plants with what they need and when.

BuddlejaEarly to mid-spring
4

In your garden

A short checklist of jobs to do this weekend, so the lesson turns into real work in the garden.

☐ Sharpen your secateurs
☐ Remove the three Ds
Free lesson · Pruning made simple

When to prune: the flowering rule

The one question that decides when to prune almost any shrub, the RHS pruning groups, and the times to avoid.

  • Old wood or new wood: the rule behind the RHS pruning groups
  • Two lessons free, no sign-up needed
  • Key points, a summary table and a quick check with every lesson
Open the free lesson
Pruning calendar

What needs doing now?

The courses

Choose a course

Each course is a set of short lessons you can finish in a few weekends.

A climbing rose covered in pale pink flowers Pruning made simple Javier martinlo, CC BY-SA 3.0

From the first cut to fruit trees and hedges

10 lessons · 16 minutes of video · 58 flashcards
  • Part 1The basics: how to cut, and the one rule that tells you when
  • Part 2Shrubs: spring, summer and evergreen shrubs, lavender and conifers
  • Part 3Roses and climbers: roses, clematis, hydrangeas and wisteria
  • Part 4Fruit, hedges and trees: apples, pears, plums, cherries, hedges and the law
£39one payment · lifetime access
See all the lessons
Raised vegetable beds with beans on canes in an English garden Grow your own vegetables Kolforn I'd appreciate if you could mail me if y, CC BY-SA 4.0

From an empty bed to your first harvests

10 lessons · 20 minutes of video · 40 flashcards
  • Part 1Getting started: choosing the spot, beds and containers, soil and compost
  • Part 2Sowing and planting: sowing indoors and out, hardening off, thinning and little-and-often sowing
  • Part 3The crops: salads, beans and peas, potatoes, roots and onions, tomatoes and courgettes
  • Part 4Care and harvest: watering, feeding, weeding, crop rotation, pests and harvest
£39one payment · lifetime access
See all the lessons
A green lawn edged with flower borders in a large British garden Lawn care through the year Waterborough, CC BY-SA 3.0

A thicker, greener lawn, season by season

10 lessons · 18 minutes of video · 42 flashcards
  • Part 1Mowing and the basics: what grass needs, the lawn year, and mowing well
  • Part 2Feeding and seasonal care: spring and autumn feeds, drought, scarifying, aerating and top-dressing
  • Part 3Lawn problems: moss, weeds, brown patches, leatherjackets and chafer grubs
  • Part 4New lawns, repairs and wildlife: repairing patches and edges, new lawns from seed or turf, wildlife and shade
£39one payment · lifetime access
See all the lessons
Espaliered apple trees trained along the wall of a kitchen garden Fruit in a small garden Christopher Hilton, CC BY-SA 2.0

Strawberries to apple trees, in any size of garden

10 lessons · 20 minutes of video · 40 flashcards
  • Part 1Planning and planting: choosing a spot, easy fruit, small trained trees, pollination and planting
  • Part 2Soft fruit: strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries and blueberries
  • Part 3Fruit trees: apples and pears on dwarfing rootstocks, plums and cherries
  • Part 4Care and harvest: fruit in pots, frost and birds, thinning, problems and storing
£39one payment · lifetime access
See all the lessons
A long double herbaceous border in full summer flower beside a lawn path Borders: right plant, right place Trevor Rickard, CC BY-SA 2.0

Right plant, right place, and a border for every season

10 lessons · 18 minutes of video · 40 flashcards
  • Part 1Know your garden: soil types and pH, sun, shade, shelter and hardiness
  • Part 2Choosing plants: plant types and labels, layers and seasons, groups, shapes and colour
  • Part 3Planting: planning a border on paper, and planting it properly
  • Part 4Looking after borders: mulching, watering, the border year and problem places
£39one payment · lifetime access
See all the lessons

All-access pass

Every GardenSteps course for 12 months, including new courses released during the year, with all summary sheets and handouts. No automatic renewal.

£7912 months · every course
Get the pass
Questions

Frequently asked questions

Are GardenSteps courses RHS courses?

No. GardenSteps is independent. Our courses follow the Royal Horticultural Society's published guidance, but they aren't affiliated with or endorsed by the RHS.

Who are the courses for?

Home gardeners in the UK, from complete beginners to people who garden every year and want to stop guessing. You don't need any experience.

How long does each lesson take?

The videos are about two minutes each. With the quick check, the flashcards and the checklist, a lesson takes around ten minutes, so you can do one over a cup of tea and then go out into the garden.

How long do I have access?

A single course is yours for as long as we run it, with no subscription. If we ever close a course, we'll give you at least 12 months' notice and a way to download its summary sheets. The all-access pass opens every course for 12 months.

What is the all-access pass?

One payment of £79 opens every GardenSteps course for 12 months, including any new courses we release during that time, with all the summary sheets and handouts. It doesn't renew automatically: we email you a month before it ends, and renewing early adds the new year to the end of your current one. Handouts you've downloaded are yours to keep.

Which devices can I use?

Any modern phone, tablet or computer, so you can take a lesson out into the garden. The summary sheets are PDF files you can print.

Can I get a refund?

You can cancel within 14 days. Because the courses are digital content, the right to cancel ends once you start the lessons, and we ask you to confirm this at checkout. See our refund policy for details.

Clipped box hedges in a formal garden

Start with a free lesson

No card needed. See how the lessons work, then choose whether to take a course.