Fourth edition - August 2001.
This month I have looked in depth
at lawnmowers and shredders
For me August is always a relaxed sort of month
in the garden, when I can take a break from the heavier jobs of the early part of the year
and plan the Autumn/Winter tasks. As I write this on my computer it is July twenty
something, pouring with rain and gusting 30kts, so quite difficult to think
"summer." I also have a puppy on loan, who together with Penny, the subject of another story is rampaging
through my borders! I wonder why they can`t have a rough and tumble on the lawn, goodness
knows there`s enough of it, but no, it has to be on the bedding plants and perennials. No
matter, the plants will survive, and it`s lovely watching the pups playing. I think we
will have to think about getting Penny a doggy companion when the pup has gone back
home...
About this time of year I start looking at any plants that have seed pods
forming, as I find immense satisfaction in growing plants for free from seed I have
previously collected. Several years ago I spent £6 on one packet with only five seeds of
the Castor Oil plant Ricinus Carmencita, a really unusual monster annual. Although
expensive at the time, each year they`ve produced hundreds of viable seeds, keeping
the whole neighborhood going. So when funds are at a premium go on a seed hunt. Ask your
friendly neighbours if you can collect theirs... Have a look in your gardening books too,
for any plants that are suitable for taking stem cuttings from at this time of
year. This is wood that is no longer soft and sappy but not yet very ripe. Some I
have in mind are: escallonia, lavender, cistus, all varieties of sages, rosemary,
buddleia, philadelphus, viburnum tinus, berberis, ceanothus, weigela, hydrangea, ribes,
hebe, skimmia and deutzia.
Don`t forget that summer is not all about working in your garden,
take some time out to visit a garden show or two, especially on the 18th and 19th
September, which is the RHS Great Autumn Show, Royal Horticultural Halls, Greycoat Street,
Lonsdon SW1
Or go to their website for a diary of all other events leading up to the
autumn show at:- http://www.rhs.org.uk
Jobs for the month - August
As
summer begins to draw to a close August becomes a month of tidying up and preparation for
the winter and next spring. The rewards of earlier labours in the fruit and vegetable
garden can now be had..
Houseplants
They will still need frequent watering and feeding. Don`t forget to
regularly dead-head flowering varieties. If you have plants in a conservatory make sure
they have ventilation and shade on hot sunny days.
Bulbs.
Bulbs
are starting to come into the garden centres at this time of year. If you are not planting
them straight away, store them in a dry, dark place with plenty of ventilation. Use paper
bags not polythene..
Lawns
Frequent
mowings are still the order of the day. Don`t worry about brown patches in the lawn, due
to drought, as a few heavy showers will soon restore it. Have you noticed how the weeds
still grow even though the grass doesn`t ?
 Greenhouse
During
the month of August you still need to make sure that plants in the greenhouse have
adequate ventilation and are shaded from too much sun. Maintain humidity to avoid red
spider mite by damping down with the hosepipe. Shade cucumbers from hot sun
Hedges
Take
care when pruning a low lavender hedge as only new growth should be lightly trimmed. Any
old wood you cut back won`t shoot again.
 Fruit
and vegetables
You
may be able to start picking early apples and pears. Continue cropping salad varieties.
Watch out for aphids on the runner beans, and keep them well watered in dry spells.
Flowers
for cutting
Keep
cutting flowers for the house and at the same time dead-head any faded blooms to encourage
new growth. The lovely delicate swathes of gypsophila, or baby`s breath as it is sometimes
known, is still flowering this month. It is superb in flower arrangements with carnations
and lilies. Still spray against aphids.
Herbaceous
plants
Carry
on feeding plants. Take time to dead-head any flowers that have faded, which encourages
new buds to form, and freshens the borders. Also mulch round plants with grass cuttings in
dry weather, to preserve moisture. (Don`t forget to dig it in once the dry spell has
passed)
 Ponds
and water features
If
you have aphids on lily leaves, give them a blast with the hose pipe which will knock them
into the water for the fish to eat. It will also serve to oxygenate the water, and raise
the level, which may have dropped due to evaporation. Continue removing blanket weed if it
is a problem. Feed up the fish fry that have hatched this year, on crumbled fish pellets,
and watch them grow...
Wildlife
Our
hedgehog seems to have found another place to live as he no longer comes through our
garden. Perhaps he didn`t like the scent of our puppy. Come to think of it there aren`t so
many birds visiting either. However animals of all kinds are already beginning to prepare
for winter so increase the variety and quantity of food on your bird table.
Next month I will be looking at basic garden tools and of course jobs for
the month...
Some seasonal web sites of interest to gardeners:
 www.edenproject.com
The
living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for
all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them
for our mutual survival
www.carryongardening.co.uk
Gardening
is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to give up gardening because
of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems associated with growing
older. The information on their website is designed to provide you with the information to
Carry on Gardening.
Carry
on Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive
and is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board. It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23
years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre,
Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people.
Are
footpaths and the countryside now open?
If you are visiting a National Trust garden or any other garden or
event, do check that they are not closed due to Foot and Mouth disease. More and more
footpaths and other venues are being opened but, for general advice and up-to-date details
of restrictions, look up the website for the appropriate local authority who will have
information about closures. Alternatively look at the following websites: www.nationaltrust.org.uk and www.defra.gov.uk who will have Foot and Mouth
up-dates.
Have
a look at previous editions of
Gardener`s Diary
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