Gardening by Month - August

There’s still lots of summer ahead of us, so give your garden some TLC to keep everything looking good. If your pots and borders are flagging and need a boost, our Plants of the Month are herbaceous perennials, with 20% off. Plant them now to keep your garden colourful through the autumn.

Perennial ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum – known as fountain grass – mix in well with herbaceous perennials such as sedum and Japanese anemone, adding graceful movement.

Dahlias bring vibrant colour to your garden in late summer and through the autumn, when other blooms have faded. Depending on the variety, you can plant them in containers or in your borders as low-growing flowers, right through to tall-growing stately background plants. Dahlias like full sun and tolerate most soil types, but if your soil is heavy or clay, adding sand and compost will help lighten it, or you can plant them in containers.

Plant autumn-flowering crocus bulbs this month and they’ll burst into life in September and October. Dig a planting hole for them that’s 5-10cm deep. Crocuses are delicate, so position them in a sheltered spot or plant in a container.

It’s been a hot, dry summer, so here are some jobs for the month to revive your garden:

• Feed flowering plants with a liquid fertiliser to perk them up.
• Revitalise tired plants by deadheading faded flowers and snipping off dying foliage and branches.
• Give shrubs and hedges a light prune if they’re looking untidy, to help them maintain their shape.
• Water wisely by giving the plants that need it a good soak at their base a couple of times a week. This encourages deep root growth and is better than a more frequent sprinkle of water.
• In dry spells, keep a bird bath topped up and have a small bowl of water at ground level too for any passing wildlife, such as bees.
• With all the deadheading and cutting back, why not turn it into your own compost? As well as garden waste, you can add vegetable peelings and egg shells. We have a range of composters available at Garsons. Ask in the garden centre for advice.
• In dry spells, remember to leave out a fresh water supply for passing wildlife. Choose an ornamental bird bath and have a bowl of water on the ground too.

Until next month, enjoy August and happy gardening!