Flower Garden.

• Keep on with the dead heading and watering of all hanging baskets and containers. Adding feed once a week will extend the flowering season and produce better plants.
  
• Cut back the foliage from hardy geraniums once they have finished flowering as this should give a second flush of flowers later.
  
• Cut back the foliage and stems of herbaceous plants, such as dicentra, when they start to die back but do not cut off the flower heads of ornamental grasses as these will give winter interest.
  
• Dead head border plants such as roses, penstemons and bedding to extend their flowering into the autumn.
  
• Prune climbing and rambler roses once they have finished flowering unless they are a repeat flowering variety or have attractive hips.
  
• Towards the end of the month sow hardy annual seeds directly into the borders to over winter and produce earlier blooms the following spring.
  
• Keep on top of the weeds with regular hoeing of annual weeds but use a glyphosate based weedkiller for perennial weeds to kill the roots as well as the leaves.
  
• Give hedges their final trim of the year.
  
• Top up water features and ponds and aerate the water during very hot weather.

 
Lawn.

• Mow lightly and frequently and leave the clippings on the lawn to act as a mulch in hot weather. Do not feed grass at this time of year.

 
Fruit and Vegetables.

• Pot up any strawberry runners that have rooted.
  
• Tie in new growth on blackberries and other hybrid berries.
  
• Continually pick summer fruit as soon as it ripens. Any surplus can be frozen or made into jam.
  
• Sow quick maturing salad crops such as lettuce, radish, rocket etc.
  
• Cut back flowered herbs like marjoram to get a second flush.
  
• Pot up some herbs to bring indoors for use during the autumn and winter.
  
• Continue to pick mature crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and beans to encourage further fruits and to prevent toughness.
  
• Put straw or cardboard underneath marrows to keep them off the earth which can cause rotting.
  
• Lift onions, shallots and garlic and leave to dry.

 
Wildlife.

• Birds still need feeding at this time of year. Hanging bird feeders are best placed over a hard surface such as paving and decking so that any dropped seeds can be easily swept up. This avoids the problem of vermin.
  
• If you have a spare piece of bare soil, leave it to become a “dust bath” for the birds in dry weather.
  
• If you are lucky enough to have a hedgehog in your vicinity try to encourage it into your garden by putting out some food. Do not put out bread and milk but instead some cat or dog food.
  
  Finally if you have any spare time and there is a fairly long dry spell forecast, give your fences and sheds a coat of preserver.

 
Looking Good This Month.

Cosmos Atrosang - Feathery foliage with chocolate smelling flowers.

Cotinus Coggygria - The smoke bush. Clouds of tiny flowers above purple leaves.

Crocosmia - Montbretia. Yellow, orange or red flowers with spiky leaves.

Kniphofia - Red hot poker. Tall with brilliantly coloured flowers.

Lathyrus Odoratus - Sweet Pea. Annual climber with highly scented bright flowers.

Lavatera  Olbia - Shrubby mallow. Large shrub with open white or pink flowers.

Monarda - Bergamot. Shaggy flowers from white to red popular with bees.

Ostespermum - African daisy. Produce masses of flowers over a long season.

Penstemon - Brightly coloured funnel shaped flowers on tall stems.

Perovskia - Russian Sage. Haze of lilac flowers on silvery stems.

back to top

back to index