The holidays are here, and now’s the time to enjoy your garden and all the results of your hard work throughout the year. There’s still plenty to do, and our top 10 garden tips for August will help you keep things looking great!
Top 10 garden tips for August
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Deadhead as you walk around enjoying your garden. Plants that flower regularly throughout summer are encouraged to produce new flowers when you remove any flowers that have gone past (and they look better!).
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Camellias and Rhododendrons are developing their buds for next year’s flowers at the moment; you can help them by watering regularly.
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As Lavender finishes flowering, cut back the faded flower heads to keep the plant in good shape. Dry the flowers and hang them in bunches around the home and you'll be able to enjoy their scent for longer.
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Water baskets and planters regularly, especially in warm or windy weather. Feed flowering plants weekly with a liquid high-potash feed such as tomato feed. Tomatoes and peppers will also benefit from a regular high-potash feed.
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As annuals like Poppies, Cornflowers and Nigella set seeds, collect them in paper bags and store them for sowing in spring - but don't forget to make a note of what they are!
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Keep ponds and bird baths topped up to give your garden wildlife somewhere to bathe and drink.
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Cut back Basil, Mint and Thyme for a flush of new growth before autumn.
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As strawberry plants send out runners, peg them down in individual pots or on the ground to create new plants. If you don’t need any new strawberry plants, cut the runners off to preserve the mother plant’s energy.
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Keep picking courgettes, runner beans and French beans. Tomatoes, potatoes and beetroots should also be ready to harvest now, and when onion and shallot leaves turn yellow and flop over, it’s time to harvest them too.
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Keep on sowing for those autumn and winter salads. Rocket, Mizuna, Pak Choi and Lamb’s Lettuce can all be sown now.
If you’re looking for great garden ideas, you’ll find everything you need in our centre. Visit us today!
