As I sit all the way in which all the way down to jot down this put up I uncover that August surfaces combined feelings. On one hand, our yard is coming into its non-public: there’s the enjoyable and anticipation of the summer season season holidays, the promise of freedom from work, spontaneous visits from associates and the likelihood to take a seat exterior consuming wine till darkness descends. Nonetheless, there’s the dread of what might occur to the yard if we enterprise too far for too extended, compounded by a creeping sense that the sport is type of over. Such unsettled emotions stem from my childhood when summers appeared so extended and nonetheless too short-term, the looming shadow of ‘as soon as extra to highschool’ reaching in course of me as each sun-soaked day handed.
There’s an inescapable melancholy about August. Even when the month begins shiny and breezy, it at all times ends drained and weary. August is a watershed second, a bittersweet interlude when gardeners put collectively to bid farewell to summer season season and begin to embrace autumn. As a lover of spring with its pressing sense of vigour and renewal, I battle to easily accept the slowing momentum and supreme reversal of the yr’s vitality. If there was an idiom that outlined August for me it might probably be ‘all good factors ought to return to an finish’.
Nonetheless, assuming you’re studying this when the month continues to be youthful, there’s the entire gadgets to play for and far to have a good time. In any case, whilst you’d spent months climbing to the summit of a mountain you wouldn’t spend these treasured moments making an attempt down nonetheless gazing out and savouring the second. Though the nights are noticeable drawing in, it’s nonetheless heat and balmy. Gardens and allotments is maybe reaching their peak quantity and visible vitality ahead of they slip into the sleek, frayed airiness of autumn. How updated your yard seems now will rely on how moist it’s been and the easiest way heaps watering you’ve been capable of do. It’s that Palm Springs second when the excellence between these areas which have obtained water and those who haven’t flip into obvious. 2022 has already exceeded 1976 for lack of rainfall so correct proper right here all through the South of England, we’re precariously near drought circumstances.
This Hampton Courtroom Yard Rivals present yard suggests how gardens might look in a extra drought-prone future.
Until you’re admirably forward-thinking and have created a really drought-tolerant yard, some extent of watering goes to be obligatory. In case you happen to’ve acquired water saved in water butts, use it. For those who can acquire gray water from washing up or showers then use this subsequent. I even use the water that’s left in my bedside glass to water my houseplants every morning. One factor is preferable to inserting extra stress on our treasured water current.
As I discussed final month, the hot button is prolonging the summer season season current for so long as attainable by watering, weeding, deadheading, pruning, clipping, mowing and filling any gaps that emerge. It doesn’t take a whole lot of brainpower, nonetheless a stage of tidiness will keep the yard from descending into anarchy. Above all, don’t be despondent whilst you return dwelling from journey to a scene paying homage to Manderley. Any wilting, rampant progress and messiness is further vulnerable to be superficial. Give your self just some hours and as well as you’ll quickly have the entire gadgets beneath administration as quickly as further.
August at a GlancePlan – plant strikes to be accomplished in autumn or spring, spring bulb displays, journey watering cowl whilst you’re away in September.Sow – hardy annuals together with larkspur, antirrhinum, cornflower and nigella (love-in-a-mist). Salad leaves, radish, rocket, parsley, spring cabbage and winter spinach.Take Cuttings – penstemon, berberis, ceanothus, choisya, hebe, rosemary, lavender, philadelphus and viburnum.Plant – container-grown shrubs and perennials (adopted by copious watering to get them settled), autumn-flowering bulbs paying homage to colchicums, autumn crocuses, cyclamen and nerines. Prune – wisteria, rambling roses (after flowering), knowledgeable apple and pear bushes, lavender, hardy geraniums and girl’s mantle, hedges of most sorts (late all through the month when you can).Harvest – tomatoes, cucumbers, sweetcorn, beetroot, carrots, chillies, courgettes, French beans, runner beans, Swiss chard, onions, raspberries, blackberries, plums, plus seed from flowers and greens that you just simply’d like extra of or want to share with associates.Resolve – dahlias, candy peas, zinnias, cosmos, gladioli, pinks and chrysanthemums.Make – jams, chutneys, preserves and pickles. Bag up seeds to supply as presents at Christmas.Purchase -pruning gadgets, shears, daffodil bulbs, icecreams, sunscreen.Benefit from – taking a fast get away of your yard (all of us want it occasionally!), barbecues, household gatherings, rounders, swingball, afternoon siestas, consuming your non-public produce, deciding on home-grown flowers.Go to – as many gardens as you in all probability can! Now could possibly be a superb time to see completely completely different gardens of their prime and accumulate concepts to your non-public.
Further Suggestion From Dan Cooper Yard
Many houseplants will have the benefit of a fast spell exterior in August.
Indoors
All the gadgets I wrote about in July nonetheless stands. The principle subject to think about this month is journey care.
Ask a member of the family, buddy or neighbour to pop in and water your vegetation while you’re away. If that’s not an choice, swap vegetation away from brightly-lit home residence home windows to a cool, shaded spot and water generously ahead of you permit. Crops on north-facing windowsills need to be wonderful the place they’re.
In case you happen to’re away for bigger than per week, you’ll need to take further precautions. Uncover some outdated towels or absorbent supplies (material mud sheets should do) and place them in a bathe or sink with the plug in. Get them good and damp and stand your houseplants on extreme, packed intently collectively. Provided there’s good contact between the underside of the pot and the fabric the compost should wick up water when it’ll get dry. The humidity created on account of the water evaporates will keep your vegetation cool too.
Self-watering planters are an choice whilst you solely have a handful of houseplants, nonetheless not if in case you might have as many as I do!
Make it a precedence to have a look at in your vegetation as quickly as you get dwelling and return them swiftly to their widespread positions.
Take leaf cuttings from houseplants together with succulents, begonias, African violets and Cape primroses. This typically is a very low-cost and straightforward method to develop your plant household.
Begin dormant cyclamen corms as soon as extra into progress by potting them in updated compost, bringing them right into a lightweight place and watering them sparingly to begin out with.
Pot saucers defend flooring and surfaces from extra water and condensation.
Potting Shed & Greenhouse
Shield doorways and residential residence home windows completely open until nighttime temperatures are set to dip beneath 10ºC (15ºC whilst you’re rising tropical vegetation like orchids, caladiums and bromeliads).
Proceed to feed and water tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies, candy peppers and aubergines usually, twice a day if obligatory. That is essential as erratic watering might set off loads of factors together with leaf drop, fruit rot, fruit splitting, lack of illness resistance and diminished manufacturing.
Assist tomatoes ripen by eradicating the plant’s decrease leaves and any side shoots that kind (this doesn’t apply to bush or trailing varieties). Take away any fruit that seems to be splitting or creating black patches. It’s often protected to compost these on account of the defects are on account of deficiencies barely than sicknesses.
Harvest fruits utilizing a pair of sharp scissors or snips. Don’t pull, twist or tear as this would possibly harm the plant.
Plant specially-prepared potato tubers in giant tubs in a greenhouse or cool porch. These is maybe prepared for harvesting at Christmas. What a deal with!
In case you happen to’re going away, consider safety. In case your shed has home residence home windows, guarantee nothing priceless is seen and conceal one factor that’s maybe used to smash glass or drive open a door. Higher nonetheless, lock one factor of potential curiosity to thieves in a storage, together with yard furnishings and barbecues.
A set of pots showcasing plum, purple and grey-leaved foliage vegetation.
Terrace & Balcony
Efficiently-planted, lovingly maintained pots and hanging baskets are a pleasure to behold in August, the vegetation jostling for place and exploding with shade. Nonetheless, like pets, they’re a priority all by way of scorching native climate and whilst you go away on journey.
Frequent watering and feeding is essential – not only for the exact proper right here and now nonetheless for the continuation of an stunning current into autumn. By now your complete dietary nutritional vitamins in a multi-purpose compost could have been taken up or washed out, so a sprinkling of slow-release fertiliser on the bottom and a weekly liquid feed is required. Irregular or inadequate watering might set off annual vegetation to set seed ahead of curling up and dying.
Drought might carry on powdery mildew which is ugly and truly exhausting to eradicate although not terribly dangerous. If vegetation are packed in intently, take away decrease leaves to strengthen air circulation spherical their bases and this will more and more go some method to stave off an assault of the white stuff.
In case you are going away on journey, swap pots correct proper right into a cool, sheltered place and water them completely ahead of you depart. They’re usually returned to thrill of place in your return.
Take care when transferring pots as they’re usually heavy to carry and awkward to deal with. A sack barrow or wheeled platform will cut back the stress in your as soon as extra.
Flip glazed and dark-coloured pots inside the event that they’re positioned in shiny sunshine as they take in warmth, baking the fragile roots inside. Terracotta pots have a tendency to stay cooler as water evaporates by means of the porous clay.
Do it is a should to return out of your well-earned break to go looking that the vegetation in your containers have light or perished, don’t be too dissatisfied. Save what you in all probability can after which replant with autumn in concepts. You’ll uncover some good concepts correct proper right here.
Clear weeds from cracks in paving and driveways ahead of they get established. As you’d rely on, I’ve merely the software program program for that at Dan Cooper Yard.
Gladiolus ‘Amber Mystique’ with Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’ and Helianthus ‘Magic Roundabout’.
Flower Yard
As a result of the events shorten and the picture voltaic rises decrease all through the sky, fiery colors come into their very private. August and September are suited to shades of yellow, orange, copper, pink, burgundy, bronze, black and purple which is maybe enriched by simple, wealthy daylight.
Proceed to select flowers as usually as you in all probability can, ideally all through the early morning or late night time time: you might be doing all your vegetation a favour, permitting them to put their vitality into producing new progress and flowers. In case you happen to’re occurring journey, take away all open and opening flowers together with deadheads to encourage the event of extra buds and discourage seed formation.
Accumulate flower seed on account of it ripens, deciding on a dry day. Take away remnants of outdated petals, stems and seed pods ahead of storing the clear seed in labelled envelopes.
Sow hardy annuals paying homage to poppies, larkspur, antirrhinums (snapdragons), cornflowers, aquilegia (granny’s bonnets) and nigella (love-in-a-mist). They are going to germinate and sort sturdy, bushy vegetation this yr ahead of winter. Subsequent yr they’ll begin flowering early, in Could or June. I need to sow hardy annuals all through the gaps left when greens are harvested in order that the underside is at all times occupied by one issue. Hardy annuals are sturdy and resilient, nonetheless keep a watch mounted mounted out for slugs and snails which might ponder them incredible snacks.
Dahlias, chrysanthemums and sunflowers have to be tied securely to stakes or canes which is maybe sturdy enough to take their flowering weight. Don’t assume that on account of they’re standing proudly upright on their very private that they may proceed to take movement. All it takes is one gusty day or a summer season season storm to topple the lot. It’s one among my first ideas of gardening – stake as rapidly as and stake efficiently!
Proceed taking softwood cuttings – these are constructed from the leafy rising choices of vegetation that haven’t nonetheless developed woody tissue. Prime candidates are rosemary, lavender, salvia, fuchsia, pelargonium (geranium) and penstemon. Pop them all through the edges of a pot filled with peat-free potting compost and keep them moist, misting as usually as you in all probability can. Roots should begin to develop in 2-3 weeks.
Give it some thought or not, August is an atmosphere pleasant month to plant daffodil bulbs. In case you happen to lifted established bulbs now you’d nearly actually uncover that they’re already sending out new roots, distinguishable from the outdated on account of they’re white and fleshy barely than brown and withered. In distinction to tulips, daffodils want time to ascertain themselves in heat soil ahead of winter comes. Nearly talking it could possibly be highly effective to go looking residence in borders for bulb planting now, nonetheless in lawns and meadows, it’s best to be succesful to get cracking outfitted the soil merely just isn’t too exhausting and dry. Use a good-quality bulb planter to make the job easier. As soon as you’ve got obtained no residence or circumstances aren’t right, daffodil planting can wait till September.
Drained perennials which have achieved flowering is maybe sheared right as soon as extra. Alchemilla mollis (girl’s mantle) and hardy geraniums reply significantly efficiently to this therapy. As rapidly as a result of the outdated foliage has been tidied away, sprinkle a bit blood, fish and bone all through the vegetation and water in. They’ll quickly produce updated foliage and possibly even a flower or two ahead of the tip of the yr.
A cool, streamside stroll at Doddington Park Gardens, Kent.
Bushes, Shrubs & Lawns
There are comparatively few time-sensitive jobs to be accomplished this month. The principle duties are hedge trimming and slicing any remaining perennial meadows in order that they’ve time to inexperienced up as quickly as further ahead of winter.
Shield camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons efficiently watered. That is when subsequent yr’s flower buds are long-established and a scarcity of water now can point out no flowers in spring.
Affirm hedges for resident wildlife ahead of you begin engaged on them. If nests are nonetheless getting used, trimming can wait till the tip of the month.
Earlier than you begin, guarantee slicing devices is sharp and efficiently maintained. In case you happen to’re going to be utilizing ladders, research these too and ideally have somebody with you in the event you occur to’re engaged on them.
Security is paramount. Don’t over-reach or lose focus when slicing hedges and positioned on defending gloves and goggles. Sturdy, thorny vegetation like pyracantha and berberis are notably harmful when trimmings begin flying about. Clear up after your self in order that there’s no hazard of youngsters or pets treading on a pointy thorn.
Take care to not cut back into outdated, naked picket until you’ve checked that the plant will regrow successfully. Some shrubs paying homage to lavender will endure and even die if pruned too exhausting – take away the flowering stems and two-thirds of the present yr’s progress nonetheless no extra. Most conifers are the same. Others, like yew, have an unimaginable performance to regenerate from outdated picket.
Lower laurel hedges with secateurs barely than shears. This avoids these half-cut leaves that flip brown and ugly till progress begins as quickly as further in spring.
Until you’ve been watering fastidiously, lawns often are typically displaying brown patches by now. Don’t concern an excessive amount of, as grass naturally goes dormant after two to a few weeks with out water. Most lawns can tolerate drought for 4 to 6 weeks nonetheless after that, there’s a hazard they gained’t regrow. All by way of dry native climate, keep away from collaborating in boisterous video video video games on the driest areas and if there’s no rain forthcoming, water as rapidly as nonetheless very deeply offering using hosepipes continues to be permitted.
Trim vigorous climbers paying homage to honeysuckle, jasmine and wisteria to deal with extended, whippy stems beneath administration. Rely 5-6 leaves from the outdated progress and trim merely above a leaf, leaving a spur of present picket. If there are longer shoots you need to keep to create a framework, tie these in with simple twine whereas they’re nonetheless simple and pliable.
Tidy up rambling roses by eradicating skinny or tangled stems as rapidly as they cease flowering. Take away a 3rd of the flowered stems and tie the remaining to sturdy helps. This may be fiddly, awkward work and it’s essential to guard your arms and face from flailing, thorny stems.
Bushes and large shrubs planted in late winter and spring need to be watered completely each week for the primary yr. Don’t skimp on this virtually almost pretty much as good irrigation will set them up for all events.
Our allotment is full of shade and buzzing with bees and butterflies in August
Kitchen Yard & Allotment
Your harvest is maybe in full swing now. August is maybe such a rewarding month, nonetheless furthermore a busy one. Gluts are all nonetheless inevitable so eat your fill, defend what you in all probability can and gives the remaining away. We want to commerce our extra fruit and greens for varieties we’ve not grown ourselves.
Harvest greens after they’re prepared, not mainly in the event you occur to need to eat them. In case you happen to go away courgettes, beans and peas on their vines they’ll flip into giant, sturdy and if not inedible, really lots a lot much less edible. Put collectively and eat or retailer them, nonetheless don’t ignore them.
Be alert to indicators of tomato and potato blight, eradicating affected vegetation instantly to stop unfold. Brown blotches merging rapidly all by way of the stems and leaves give the sport away. Burn or eradicate contaminated provides – don’t compost!
Pinch out the rising tip of outside tomatoes since further flowers are unlikely to supply fruit ahead of the tip of the season.
Boring as a result of it’s maybe, weeding is a train to deal with on extreme of. Shortening days ship a sign to vegetation to rush up and produce seeds ahead of winter. One yr’s weeds make seven years’ seeds (or thereabouts) so that you just’ll be making a rod to your non-public as soon as extra whilst you don’t take care of them. My tactic is to deal with the underside completely filled with vegetation in order that there’s no residence for weeds to get a protect.
Frustratingly, a mix of cool nights and dry soil can encourage crops like Swiss chard, fennel, beetroot and onions to ‘bolt’ (go to seed). This often makes them sturdy, bitter and inedible. Sadly there’s not considerably heaps you can do about bolting and whilst you’ve seen it’s taking place it’s really too late to do one factor about it. Pull out affected vegetation and compost them.
As rapidly as a result of the foliage of foremost crop potatoes has died down, go away the tubers all through the flooring for just some weeks ahead of harvesting. This might permit the skins to toughen up in order that the potatoes retailer for longer. Keep away from lifting them in moist native climate. Take away extra soil after which retailer in hessian sacks or paper baggage in a cool, dry place. Affirm them typically to verify there are usually not any rotten potatoes which might spoil the remaining.
Take away strawberry runners which have began to place down roots and use them to make extra vegetation. Trim away a very powerful leaves and plant them all through the open flooring that’s had manure or compost and an ordinary fertiliser added (I exploit blood, fish and bone for lots of factors!). Shield the crown (centre) of the plant at flooring stage and water completely. Take away any flowers that seem in autumn in order that the plant areas all its vitality into producing a powerful root system and plant for subsequent yr.
Apple and pear bushes knowledgeable as followers, espaliers, step-overs and cordons need to be pruned to permit delicate to comprehend the ripening fruit. Within the discount of latest progress to a few leaves from the earlier yr’s progress, until it’s wanted to selection a part of the tree’s constructing. All the time use well-sharpened secateurs. Pruning fruit bushes is one issue of an artwork work, so search detailed suggestion in the event you occur to’re uncertain what to do.
Throughout the low cost of the stems of summer season season fruiting raspberries to flooring stage leaving solely the mannequin new, unfruited stems. These will mature and carry fruit subsequent yr.
Observe climbing and twining crops paying homage to beans, cucumbers and squashes up sturdy supporting frameworks constructed from canes, stakes, heavy internet or a mix of those. These varieties with tendrils ought to connect themselves nonetheless might have a bit coaxing inside the turning into course. Squashes and melons might have tying in and extra help as rapidly as fruit begins to develop.
Proceed sowing salad crops in small components till the tip of the month.
A pink admiral butterfly visits valerian (Centranthus ruber).
Wildlife & Sustainable Yard
Our gardens need to be teeming with wildlife this month. Heat circumstances are wonderful for bugs, mammals and reptiles, though we’ll see fewer yard birds as they undertake their summer season season moult all through the protection of bushes, bushes and hedges. Water is the precept focus of all factors. Spend time guaranteeing there are sources of latest water for wild buddies and conserving ponds from choking up as consequence of their very private unbelievable vitality.
Refill ponds with rainwater if attainable, in another case use faucet water in small components. If the extent has dropped dramatically, extreme it up in ranges in order that the water temperature isn’t altered considerably. Guarantee you might have a ground-level water present that’s protected for animals to drink from with out falling in and drowning. Fowl baths need to be topped up every day and cleaned weekly.
If the native climate is especially scorching and nonetheless, sprinkle the bottom of your pond with a hose or watering can to softly oxygenate the water. A fountain will take care of this for you – floating, solar-powered variations are helpful whilst you don’t have a present {{of electrical}} vitality or just have to harness nature’s vitality.
Shield ponds away from invasive pond weeds and marginal vegetation guaranteeing there’s at all times a little bit of clear water for fish and amphibians to flooring. A pond that’s completely choked with vegetation will rapidly flip into depleted of oxygen and might even begin to odor disagreeable. Take away ineffective leaves and flowers ahead of they fall into the water and begin to rot – an oily movie on the bottom is an indication that micro organism are assemble up. Go away any provides you take out of a pond on the side for a day to permit any creatures to re-enter the water.
Swallows and swifts will begin making their journey as soon as extra to Africa nonetheless home martins hold, rearing as lots as three broods in a single summer season season. If home martins are resident the place you reside, create a patch of mud someplace in your yard so that they will use it to revive their nests.
Go away seedheads on vegetation paying homage to teasel, lavender, sunflowers and Verbena bonariensis. These will present meals for birds and small mammals by means of autumn and into the winter. Cease deadheading roses too, if you would like the hips to develop.
Youthful hedgehogs (hoglets) want fattening up ahead of they go into hibernation in late autumn. Put out dishes of water and meat-based pet meals inside the event that they’re visiting your yard.
Proceed slicing established wildflower meadows. Go away the cuttings the place they fall for a day or two to permit wildlife to go looking shelter and permit seeds to drop to the underside. Rake off the cuttings and compost them. End slicing ahead of the tip of August to permit the species-rich turf to get properly ahead of winter. Newly-sown perennial meadows or annual flower meadows don’t have to be cut back until they flip into significantly scruffy and ugly.
Water your compost heap if there’s no rain since dry provides is not going to rot down with out some moisture. Be mindful so as in order so as to add supplies in skinny layers of moist and dry, turning the heap usually to deal with it aerated.
The Gin & Tonic Yard in mid-August 2021, overflowing with vegetation – Merely how I favor it!
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Programs: Annuals, Begonias, Coleus, daffodils, Dahlias, Flowers, Foliage, Fruit and Veg, Yard Wildlife, How To, Perennials, Footage, Crops, Sensible Suggestion, succulents, Bushes and Shrubs, Native climate
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