August 2026

Flowers

Short lived shrubs such as Salvia and Penstemon may not over-winter.  It is advisable to take cuttings now to ensure new plants for planting out in the Spring

Now is a good time to plant Colchicum (Autumn Crocus) and Lilium Candidum which should now be available in your favourite garden centre. 

Rambler Roses should be thinned at this time of year by removing about one in three of the shoots.  Make sure the remaining shoots are tied in to their supports.  .

Lavender plants should be trimmed as soon as they have finished flowering by removing the dead flower heads and about 1 inch of growth below the flower stem,  It is too late now to cut back Lavenders to rejuvenate them if they have been allowed to become leggy and woody, wait until next Spring.

Keep plants well watered in containers and feed on a regular basis using a fertilizer containing a high Potash level.  Tomato feed will do this job for you - never at this time of year use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content.  You can check this out on the packaging- look for the N P K analysis, the K should always at this time be the highest and the N the lowest figure.  Remember also to keep plants dead headed to keep the display going for as long as possible.

Fruit  

Summer fruiting Raspberry canes should be cut away as soon as the last fruits have been picked and then tie in the new growth to support them.

If you want to make a new Strawberry bed, now is a good time to buy new stock and plant immediately into a very well prepared weed free bed.  Never plant runners off your existing bed as these will already be affected with a Strawberry virus disease and also do not be tempted to plant runners given to you by a friend as the same result will be inevitable.

Vegetables  

Harvest Onions as soon as the foliage collapses and dry off thoroughly before storing away for winter use.  Parsley can be sown now to make a fresh supply of young leaves through to the spring.  Basil can also be sown now for winter use but this must be grown on in a protected environment such as the kitchen windowsill. 

Pumpkins and Squashes should be raised off the soil level to prevent rotting.

Ponds   

Oxygenating weed in ponds can become very overgrown at this time of year, remove by pulling out of the pond until about one quarter is left.  This will quickly grow and establish itself well before the onset of winter.  Also remove any blanket weed by using a stick and twisting it in the water to wrap this very invasive weed around it.

Hedges  

This is the last chance to cut conifer hedges to avoid die back, never do it later than the end of August.  Other hedges such as Laurel and Privet should not be cut after the end of July..