budlia

Just dead head it and wait 'til flowers stop blooming , reduce it late Autumn then prune it hard in Spring, continue to enjoy it now.

thanks i will do, when a prune it well how far back do i go to the what looks like dead wood or just above the butterflies have been beautiful

i think the books say prune to one third, but my wife has just pruned one of ours very hard indeed, down to about 2 1/2 feet , but it will grow back next year, they are very hardy.didn't see many butterflies this year.

If you wish you can cut Buddleja to a stump and it will still come back well.

Wyeboy :if i do this will it improve it and make it bush abit i think it could do with a good lop don't think its had one for a long time the people who had the house before us have maaintained the garden to a degree but both have recently had ops which left them a bit incapacitated and unable to do to much.

Steve: I'm sorry to hear that you haven't seen that many we have had loads not meaning to rub it in they have been very varied and lovely in colour, A lot of people have commented that the wet weather may have badly effected them by washing away the catapillas having said that i haven't seen the catapillas just the end result. Hopfully you'll see an improvment next year.

Thanks to you both for getting back to me :~)

By the way how i's the weather with you its raining badly here and no sign of a let up.

You can start off again and you will find you will have a lot of young fresh growth in the Spring.