August reminds me of the start of spring you spend this month planning and preparing for all things in autumn and what to expect like we did in spring. So, at this stage you are in the middle of harvesting your vegetable and hopefully have a nice crop weather it was tomatoes or cucumber, peppers they should all be starting to ripen around now. If you have herbs and have an excess of them like basil, oregano, thyme consider drying them or freezing them for later use.
This is also the time to collect seed off some flowering perennials and annuals that have finished flowering. Dry them label and properly and store in a cool dry place.
Lightly prune summer flowering shrubs like roses, lavender, salvia etc, after they have finished blooming. Avoid heavy pruning as this could stimulate new growth that may not harden off before winter.
Refresh mulching around plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds, also looks fabulous look and rejuvenate the beds.
Continues to deadhead and check plant for pests and diseases and remove any blackspot or damages leaves discard these in a bin don’ts add to the compost it will only spread any disease further. If you have a compost heap turn the pile regularly to aerate it and speed up decomposition.
Keep up with weeding to prevent them competing with your plants for nutrients and water.
Now that you have the garden in great shape its time to start planning the Autumn do you want to add more spring bulbs like Snowdrops blue bell or another variety to the daffodil collection.
Reminder to take notes at this stage what has gone well what plant have thrived and what needs extra care this will help you to plan the following Year
“August is the time of maturity and fulfilment, the high point of the summers garden, when the fruits of your labour ripen, and the garden sings in vibrant colour before the gentle fading of fall.”
