A plant is a British garden favourite, loved for its silvery green foliage, elegant shape, and purple fragrant flowers. But when lavender starts to look woody or leggy, these pretty begin to look unsightly.

If your lavender plant is now dominated by bare, twiggy stems, experts have advised not to give up on it just yet. Lavender tends to become woody with age, especially when it's left to grow unchecked. The lower parts of the plant gradually turn brown and stiff, producing less of the leafy and lush foliage. Luckily, is resilient and forgiving when given the right care at the right time. A woody or leggy plant may look past its prime, but with the correct pruning, it can be brought back to life.

At this point, action is essential, accoriding to experts at "When you notice that your lavender is woody, it's time to take action to help it recover," they said. "Pruning woody lavender plants is the key to rejuvenating them."

The key lies not only in knowing when to prune, but in mastering how to do it properly. Lavender should be pruned in spring, once the risk of frost has passed.

It's tempting to get started early, but a late frost can kill off tender new growth, setting your plant back instead of helping it.

Before you begin, make sure your tools are up to the job. It's important that the blades are sharp and clean for healthy cuts.

One of the most important rules of lavender care is knowing what not to prune. "The basic rule of pruning lavender is not to trim into brown, dead wood," say the experts.

It might be tempting to cut back those woody stems in the hope of a fresh start, but lavender won't sprout new growth from the old wood.

Instead, gardeners are advised to focus on the green, living parts of the plant. You can safely trim back each branch by about one-third to one-half - just be sure that green leaves remain when you're done as that's your sign that the plant still has what it needs to regrow.

Even when tackling a plant that's gotten out of hand, resist the urge to go at it all at once. "It's also a good idea not to prune all of the plant at the same time," Gardening Know How experts advise.

The experts advise gardeners to work slowly, shaping and trimming branch by branch, always avoiding cuts into the brown wood. If you come across branches that are truly dead - dry, brittle, and brown - those can be removed entirely.

Once the immediate restoration work is done, the best way to prevent your lavender from becoming leggy again is to make pruning an annual ritual.

Light pruning after flowering in late summer can help maintain a neat shape and encourage soft, green shoots before the season ends.