August
Helenium Moerheim Beauty.
On a summer’s evening, take a drink outside, sit back and enjoy the garden you have worked on during the year.Once you have been round the garden watering the plants, you deserve to take a rest on your patio or deck area to enjoy the late, balmy, summer afternoon. If you haven’t got a patio but have always fancied one, it’s never too late for Gardeneer to build one in your garden.
There are some stunning plants to admire in August such as the statuesque agapanthus in blues and white; the fiery colours of croscosmias, Helenium Moerheim Beauty- as shown above -; the tall stately verbascums standing at the back while the soft pastels of phlox fill the borders with colour and scent. The Gardeneer team can help you keep your garden looking glorious like this all year round, just the way you like it, with their regular maintenance and major tidy-ups. So don’t leave it to chance— call now and let Gardeneer help you out!
More hints and tips for garden tasks to help you ‘Enjoy your garden looking just the way you like it’
Lawns
The lawn needs special care at this time. Ideally it should be kept moist and cut to about an inch but for most of us this is impractical. During any hot spell, mow occasionally and not too short while it is being scorched brown. And don’t worry because as soon as it rains, the lawn will recover. In order to avoid unsightly dead patches under your garden furniture, try to move it around fairly regularly.
Borders
Cut back lavender as soon as the flowers fade, ensuring you do not cut into the old wood as this will prevent new shoots growing next season.
The roses have had their first flush but continual dead heading encourages new flowers. Remove any rose suckers at the base of the plant as soon as they appear—they are unsightly and unproductive.
With careful selection, the many varieties of clematis ensure an almost continuous display. If you are able, plant them near a climbing rose. This gives the clematis support and doubles your chances of colour in that area of the garden. Remember that they like to have their toes in the shade and their heads in the sun!
Spray as necessary to keep aphids away and water plants during dry spells to help avoid the development of powdery mildew.
Prune
Prune philadelphius (mock orange) after flowering—cutting back this year’s flowering growth and removing about a quarter of the oldest stems to keep the shrub neat and productive for next year.
Pick fruit from trees and bushes and lightly prune apple and pear trees. Privet and beech hedges can also be pruned now.
Hanging Baskets and Pots
Water and feed hanging baskets and pots of annual summer plants on a very regular basis to keep the displays looking their best. Regular deadheading will keep the plants producing flowers for weeks to come.
Plants to look for in August
Lavender, Buddleia, Hypericum, Geums
