Rose pruning can be daunting. It seems dangerous, difficult and possible terminal for the plant, If rose pruning worries you, the bad news is at some point you reach that date on the garden calendar (*July - August). The good news is, don't panic bacause here is your pain free guide to rose pruning.

It helps to know why you are pruning in the first place. Roses are pruned to encourage new growth, which in trun encourages lots of flowers. Keep that in mind and the entire task of pruning will seem much more rewarding.

PRUNING RULES FOR ROSES

The most common pruning error is to not prune hard enough. The winter pruming time is when all the mess and clutter is removed, leaving a basic framwork for the rose to renew itself in spring.

In our climates, winter pruming is done in July or early August. Leave it until the later date if your garden experiences frost. By July, new growth may be appearing, so get out the secateurs and start to prune away the old growth.

Where frosts occur, delay pruning so new growth will not begin until after the frosts have finished or your rose will be damaged.

Whilst most roses do the right thing and go dormant in winter, some refuse to stop flowering.

There are some roses that don't get pruned in winter. Any roses that only flower in late winter or spring are left unitl after they've flowered before pruning. If you make a mistake, you will reduce flowering. Hold off pruning banksia roses, most of the old-fashioned roses, some climbers and most ramblers.

HOW TO PRUNE

Before you begin pruning, assemble your tools: clean, sharp secateurs: a pruning saw: a drop sheet: a large Mighty Bin to hold the prunings: thick gloves. Also have on hand a disinfectant to sterilise the pruning tools before you begin as you move from one rose to another. Remember how far you cut back depends on the size and vigour of the rose and where it is growing. Cut most roses back to around one-third of their pre-pruned size. Tall, fast growing roses can be cut back harder.

Step 1

Go over the rose, cutting everything back by about one-third. Remove any lingering flowers and leaves. Remove any suckers (growth from the root system below the graft). This makes the rose more accessible for more detailed follow-up pruning.

Step 2

Next, remove any spindly growth, dead branches and very old brown or grey wood, cutting all this unwanted growth off low down on the plant. Use the pruning saw to cut thick stems.

Step 3

Select three or five green, healthy, vigorous branches as the framework for the next season's growth. Remove any other unwanted stems and then cut back the framework branches to an outward facing bud. An outward facing bud is selected to encourage growth away from the centre of the plant.

Step 4

Removing all the pruning debris, including fallen leaves and flowers from earlier in the year.

Step 5

With pruning and spraying completed, renew the mulch around your rose. Water well when new growth begins.

Need to clear garden waste or builder's landscaping waste? The Mighty Bin is a great solution for getting rid of the garden waste. There are no rental fees so you can complete your work in your own time, without spending extra money. Simply call us for a collection, when you are ready.

For a quick overview of our Mighty Bin and how the process works, please watch our video.

Mighty Bin can be bought from stores around the Perth and regional areas, search the stockists on the website. Our skip bags arrive flat-packed, so simply open it up and start your project when you are ready. There are no rental fees, no damage to your driveway and a simple one off payment for the collection.

We all know that 'planning' a DIY project can be an excuse to sit back with a glass of something nice instead of actually doing the job; but genuine planning really can help get a job done: efficiently, safely, and - above all - on time.

Firstly, you need to decide on the exact scope of the project. For example, when looking at painting a room you need to ask yourself whether you will, at the same time, also be painting the ceiling, the skirting board, the door, and the frame; and then factor in the necessary additional time and equipment. There are plenty of online tools that can help you, from working out exactly how much paint you need to buy.

Secondly, you should consider whether you fully understand what the job involves. Before tiling a bathroom wall, for example, it is probably advisable to read up on the subject; otherwise you may end up damaging the tiles - either by accident - or deliberately through sheer frustration.

You will also need to swallow your pride and decide whether you need help, either physical or technical. Changing a door, for example, can be an akward and heavy job without an additional pair of hands.

It goes without saying of course that you must also make doubly sure you have all the tools and ancillary equipment necessary to see the job through.

Finally, the amount of waste from DIY jobs is often underestimated. To help speed the job of cleaning up afterwards, try and organise a rubbish removal system. This can be as simple as keeping a Mighty Bin handy.

Then, who knows; if you finish on time you might actually get to enjoy that glass of something nice after all.

Reclaiming Garage Space

Has your garage become filled with everything but a car? 

It can seem like an overwhelming task but make a start by organizing three piles. Keep, donate and bin.

If you have broken unusable items dispose of them. Skip bags are a perfect choice for this job as you can store Mighty Bin until you need it without paying for skip rental and you can fill it when you have time.

You will soon have reclaimed the space you lost to clutter. Once you have cleared your space, make use of the back wall and space around the door to store your belongings. Make total use of the wall space, both horizontially and vertically so you are able to fit your car in once again. Use wall mounted shelves, hooks or racks hung over-head. Tall cupboards could also be installed cheaply; these are perfect for tall items such as mops, brooms and large tools and help to keep the place looking uncluttered.

If you do not have a utility room, the garage can be a great space to store things that are too dirty for the house. A great idea for keeping your house clean is to mount a Perspex sheet under coat hooks, so that wet coats won't damage the wall.

Keep everyday shoes on metal or plastic racks that can be wipe-cleaned easily. For expensive, going out shoes, invest in clear plastic boxes which keep them away from dust and dirt and make them easily identifiable for when you are in a rush.