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August is the month for enjoying the colour and beauty that late summer perennials bring to the garden just as earlier perennials are starting to fade. Think Dahlias, Echinacea, Sedum, Achillea…. Need I say more?
It’s also the time you can start reproducing your plants by taking cuttings, collecting seeds and dividing perennials. What could be more satisfying than creating your own new plants for free?
There’s so much joy and beauty in the garden at this time of year. With that said, here are some gardening jobs for August which will ensure you can get out and enjoy your garden as much as possible.
- Prune rambling roses. Once they’ve finished flowering, trim all side shoots to 2 buds from the main stem to ensure lots of new growth and flowers for next year. Looking forward to it already!
- Take cuttings from perennials you want more of, such as Penstemons, Salvia and Pelargoniums.
- Collect seed from plants to sow over winter. You’ll get so much satisfaction from doing this. The perfect antidote to those darker months of winter and something to look forward to 😁
- Carry on weeding borders to keep them looking tidy and stop weeds taking away valuable water and nutrients from plants.
- Cut back any perennials that have gone over right down to the ground. Doing this now means you may get a flush of fresh foliage and maybe some more flowers. Who wouldn’t like the possibility of more flowers!
- Keep on deadheading roses, bedding and perennials to encourage new flowers for as long as possible.
- Carry on feeding pots with a high potassium feed such as tomato feed to encourage new flower production.
- Trim lavender. Once they have finished flowering take off the faded flower spikes and about 2cm of the leaf growth. Don’t trim into the old wood as they will not regrow.
- Take semi-ripe cuttings from shrubs. This is an easy and inexpensive way to multiply your shrub stock for free. It’s also a good way to create a backup in the case of tender shrubs.
- Trim hedges to neaten them up for winter.
- Summer prune wisteria. Tidy up and encourage new flower buds to form by trimming all the sideshoots to 5 buds from the main stem.
- Start dividing perennials to double your stock and fill any gaps in your borders.
August is a lovely time to be in the garden. Make the most of the summer days that remain before the beauty of Autumn takes over. These gardening jobs for August will ensure you can enjoy any available time to be in your garden and appreciate the beauty surrounding you. The beauty you have created and continue to nurture.
Happy gardening!
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