August
It’s late summer and the garden is still full of vibrant colours with flowers continuing to offer up plenty of food for bees and butterflies. You may notice though that there are fewer birds around. They are keeping a low profile as this is moulting season when they renew their feathers. Birds are more vulnerable to predators at this time, so any assistance with easily accessible high protein feed will be helpful to them. For information on what to feed at different times of the year, visit www.rspb.org.uk.
Tame it
Abundant growth over the past few months can mean things are getting a little wild out there. You many need to prop up tall border plants if they are starting to flop; use canes and string, or twiggy sticks to help keep things upright.
Continuing to deadhead flowers will encourage more blooms for as long as possible and keep things looking fresh.
Summer pruning will calm growth on plants, unlike winter pruning that stimulates growth. Stems of rambling roses can be reduced by a third after flowering, apple and pear trees can be pruned of excess foliage to ensure they put their energy into fruit production, and wisteria can be given a gentle trim.
Check for, and remove, any unwanted suckers from roses, jasmine and other suckering plants before they take hold, and take over.
Cultivate it
Taking cuttings is a great way to increase your stock of plants without additional expense. Woody herbs such as lavender, hyssop and rosemary can be propagated by snipping around 10cm from non-flowering shoots. Remove the lower leaves and place four or five cuttings into small pots of gritty compost. Water and then place in the shade and keep moist (but not over-watered). They should start to root in four to six weeks. Once you can see they have established, pot up individually ready to plant out or pot up next year.
Sow it
Hardy annuals such as corn flower, calendula and larkspur can be sown now, in a sunny spot, to overwinter eg. geminate, grow a bit, slow down as winter sets in but continue to develop roots so they will race ahead when the weather warms up in the spring. This is also a good technique for growing leaf coriander which has a tendency to run to seed when sown in the spring.
August is also the last window of opportunity to sow root crops such as carrot and beetroot if you have seeds and space left. Hardy crops such as land cress, rocket and corn salad can also be sown for winter pickings.
If you have any bare ground, try growing a green manure to cover and protect the soil over winter. Phacelia works well. The fast growing foliage smothers weeds and the root system improves soil structure; just dig it in when spring comes. If you leave some to flower, they will attract lots of bees and other beneficial insects.
Enjoy it
Be sure to take some time to just relax and enjoy your garden when the weather is fine and warm. Whilst sitting and staring you will probably find that rather than doing nothing, you are actually plotting your next project!
Watch it
In addition to relaxing, you can also do something really useful whilst sitting enjoying your garden on a warm dry day. The Pollinator Monitoring Scheme is asking for help to monitor pollinating insects. This can take as little as ten minutes of your time and will help provide valuable information. For how to get involved in this citizen science project, which runs 1 April to 30 September, visit https://ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts
Want the garden waste collection service?
Wealden’s Garden Waste Service enables residents to subscribe to have up to four garden waste bins emptied on a fortnightly basis. The new subscription year has already started but you can still sign up by visiting www.wealden.gov.uk/gardenwaste . If you have already subscribed but want an extra bin call us on 01323 443322. Happy gardening!
August
It’s late summer and the garden is still full of vibrant colours with flowers continuing to offer up plenty of food for bees and butterflies. You may notice though that there are fewer birds around. They are keeping a low profile as this is moulting season when they renew their feathers. Birds are more vulnerable to predators at this time, so any assistance with easily accessible high protein feed will be helpful to them. For information on what to feed at different times of the year, visit www.rspb.org.uk.
Tame it
Abundant growth over the past few months can mean things are getting a little wild out there. You many need to prop up tall border plants if they are starting to flop; use canes and string, or twiggy sticks to help keep things upright.
Continuing to deadhead flowers will encourage more blooms for as long as possible and keep things looking fresh.
Summer pruning will calm growth on plants, unlike winter pruning that stimulates growth. Stems of rambling roses can be reduced by a third after flowering, apple and pear trees can be pruned of excess foliage to ensure they put their energy into fruit production, and wisteria can be given a gentle trim.
Check for, and remove, any unwanted suckers from roses, jasmine and other suckering plants before they take hold, and take over.
Cultivate it
Taking cuttings is a great way to increase your stock of plants without additional expense. Woody herbs such as lavender, hyssop and rosemary can be propagated by snipping around 10cm from non-flowering shoots. Remove the lower leaves and place four or five cuttings into small pots of gritty compost. Water and then place in the shade and keep moist (but not over-watered). They should start to root in four to six weeks. Once you can see they have established, pot up individually ready to plant out or pot up next year.
Sow it
Hardy annuals such as corn flower, calendula and larkspur can be sown now, in a sunny spot, to overwinter eg. geminate, grow a bit, slow down as winter sets in but continue to develop roots so they will race ahead when the weather warms up in the spring. This is also a good technique for growing leaf coriander which has a tendency to run to seed when sown in the spring.
August is also the last window of opportunity to sow root crops such as carrot and beetroot if you have seeds and space left. Hardy crops such as land cress, rocket and corn salad can also be sown for winter pickings.
If you have any bare ground, try growing a green manure to cover and protect the soil over winter. Phacelia works well. The fast growing foliage smothers weeds and the root system improves soil structure; just dig it in when spring comes. If you leave some to flower, they will attract lots of bees and other beneficial insects.
Enjoy it
Be sure to take some time to just relax and enjoy your garden when the weather is fine and warm. Whilst sitting and staring you will probably find that rather than doing nothing, you are actually plotting your next project!
Watch it
In addition to relaxing, you can also do something really useful whilst sitting enjoying your garden on a warm dry day. The Pollinator Monitoring Scheme is asking for help to monitor pollinating insects. This can take as little as ten minutes of your time and will help provide valuable information. For how to get involved in this citizen science project, which runs 1 April to 30 September, visit https://ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts
Want the garden waste collection service?
Wealden’s Garden Waste Service enables residents to subscribe to have up to four garden waste bins emptied on a fortnightly basis. The new subscription year has already started but you can still sign up by visiting www.wealden.gov.uk/gardenwaste . If you have already subscribed but want an extra bin call us on 01323 443322. Happy gardening!
