August Gardening Jobs – 6 Things To Do This Month

Plant bulbs for the fall

• Nerines – those hardy, firework-shaped perennials, which thrive in dry, rocky soils.  Their lily-like flowers come in every pretty shade, from white to pink and crimson, and some are even evergreen. 
• Crocosmia – commonly known as ‘coppertips’, crocosmia are easy to grow, hardy perennials that return year after year.  With their sword-shaped leaves and graceful arching stalks, they bear fiery orange flowers.
• Alstroemerias – the Peruvian Lily, as it’s often called, is a hardy herbacious perennial and staple of many a cottage garden.  There’s a wide variety of cultivars on the market, offering blooms in many hues, from soft cream, yellow and blush palettes through to hot, deep crimson.

Collect seeds

Taking time to collect seeds from the plants in your garden is easy, free and so rewarding.  It’s a great way to increase the number of plants in your garden for free.

Now is one of the best times of year to hunt and forage for seeds from your favourite plants.  Perennials, annuals, biennials, ornamental grasses, herbs, shrubs, trees, vegetables and even aquatic plants all bear seeds (or berries) which can be collected.

How to collect and store seeds:

• Collect ripe seed heads on a dry day and as soon as possible once the capsules or pods ripen
• Lay the seed heads out to dry on a warm windowsill, in an airing cupboard or a dry greenhouse bench
• Once dry, gently extract the seeds from the seed heads by carefully opening the capsules or pods (you can also try crushing them to release the seeds)
• The seeds of fleshy fruits and berries can be removed by mashing them in a sieve, rinsing away the pulp in cold water and leaving them to dry fully
• Store seeds in a dry labelled paper packet or envelope in an airtight container.

Deadhead perennials

Deadheading perennials regularly throughout August will ensure a continuous bloom of flowers in the garden as fall approaches.  It also helps to redirect your plants’ energy back into the ground, rather than forming seed pods.  The result?  Stronger flowers and foliage next year.

How to deadhead:

• Look out for flowers which have faded or are starting to look scruffy
• Neatly pinch off the faded blooms with your fingers
• Remove dead flower heads to the first leaf below the flower using clean secateurs

What to deadhead in August:

• Roses
• Dahlias
• Lavender
• Herbs
• Hardy geraniums
• Cosmos
• Veronica

Top-up bird baths

It’s not just gardeners who can feel the temperature rise outside during August.  Whilst August can be a quiet month for garden birds, those that do visit our outside spaces certainly appreciate a little extra hydration as temperatures rise.

That’s why we’ll be providing them with plenty of fresh, clean water throughout the month.

To look after your native garden birds, and those visiting from faraway climes, we recommend investing in a cast stone bird bath.

Positioning a bird bath in your garden means you can provide the most commonly-spotted birds such as robins, starlings and blackbirds, with a much needed drink and place to bathe.

Looking after your Haddonstone is simple.  Here’s a few easy things you can do to look after your bird bath:

• Remove debris, which can decay and contaminate the water
• Give your bird bath a quick clean every few months
• Top-up your bird bath with cold water every couple of days as and when the level drops.

De-weed paving

Whilst your borders and stone planters have been growing beautifully with bounteous flowers and foliage over the summer, some less desirable plants have probably made themselves at home.

Weeds are the blight of the hard-working gardener, stealing space and taking much-needed nutrients from favored shrubs, perennials and annuals.

A good hand-weed or hoe is usually enough to remove most weeds from flowerbeds and pots.  But for those of you with a patio or paving, you may find that these pesky plants have made an appearance through the joins.

How to remove weeds from paving:

Prune

August is the time to sharpen and clean your secateurs, and to get pruning!

Pruning is an essential task in the gardening calendar, helping to keep plants compact, and to rejuvenate old or overgrown plants.

Summer-flowering shrubs such as lavender, fuchsia, hydrangea and buddleja all benefit from cropping and thinning once they have finished flowering.  Some trees can also be pruned at the end of summer, including birch, maple and trained apple and pear trees.

How to prune in August:

• Prune the flowered stems of herbaceous plants right down to ground level, leaving the clump of leaves at the base
• Cut shrubs down to just above any visible buds
• Remove any dead wood or stems at the base of the plant to encourage strong, new growth
• Where stems are growing close together or crossing, cut out one to prevent them from rubbing together which may damage the bark and cause die-back or disease.

Arrange a free project consultation today

Our experienced and friendly team has been helping clients choose the perfect stonework for their project, for over 50 years.

So whether you know exactly what you are looking for, or would like to chat through some ideas, our team is on hand to assist you.

Arrange your free project consultation today.

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• Toll free: 866 733 8225
• Telephone: 719 948 4554

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