I don't need to tell you that it has been dry and hot over the past month. But unfortunately, many plants suffered during that spell and will probably not recover this season unless you have been watering them.

Of course, your lawn is the biggest' plant' to suffer. At the time of writing this, there has not been much in the way of rain in the forecasts. The lawns will undoubtedly need a boost, so plan to give a light feed if you know there is going to be a period of rain. Otherwise, get the sprinkler out (if we are still allowed) and give the lawn a really good soaking. After a few days, you should see the grass 'greening up'.

Several months back, I mentioned that we had re-done the garden's main pond, which has been very successful. Everything has grown back well and looks well established. It is easy to think that a pond does not need much maintenance, and in general, that is true. However, you do need to keep an eye on it, ensuring that the water is topped up regularly and that you are removing any build-up of pond weed etc. If you have fish, ensure that the water is aerated correctly, this can be done by using a pump or regularly topping up the water and allowing it to overflow. We purchased 24  fish to restock the pond. Alas, nasty Mr Heron found out and has taken more than 12 so far. They are magnificent birds, but despite scaring him every time we see him, he goes up on the roof of the house or the top of a tree and defiantly stares at us. He has more patience than me, I go indoors, and he returns. Any suggestions??.  We have decoys, but they do not deter him.

In all gardens, plants will come into flower and die off and if you want to be tidy and get some more blooms, keep 'deadheading'. This will encourage the plant to grow more flowers. For example, roses are doing exceptionally well this year and respond greatly to 'deadheading'. Likewise, the more often you pick Sweet peas, the more flowers you will get. Many others will benefit from this practice.

Bedding plants will be coming into their own now. Keep them well watered and fed, and they will keep going right up to the frosts. Antirrhinums, Sweet Williams, Marigolds, Asters and many more will go longer if 'deadheaded'.

Those who took my advice and planted some Lettuce or other vegs in the borders should now be able to start using them. Likewise, if you planted some early or second early tatties, you can begin lifting them and enjoy your harvest. Raspberries and other fruits like Blueberries and Gooseberries have enjoyed the sunshine and heat and cropped well, and a little feed will build them up for next year.

Lastly, if you have Lavender in the garden, now is the perfect time to harvest. If you want to have the rich lavender colour of the flower, harvest now, if you want the 'seed heads', leave them a little longer to ripen. Once clipped, you should enjoy a second flourish, although not as many flowers. If you want to keep the flowers on the stems, make some small bundles tied with string, hang them upside down, and allow them to dry; they will last for years. If you have opted for the seed heads, do the same, and once dry, strip off the seeds and use them in bowls or fill sachets.

Remember, too, that now is one of the best times to trim your hedges.

Enjoy August and the lovely days it brings.

Ewen

July

If you have not managed to get all your bedding plants in by now, there is still time during the first few weeks of July to get a good splash of colour for the remainder of the summer. If you have the time, deadhead your plants frequently to avoid the plants putting their energy into producing seeds (unless, of course, you want seeds). This will encourage more flowers and is especially true with Sweet Peas.

June was a very dry month, and your lawns and many plants will have suffered. Please give them a feed and water them regularly. If you have not already done so, now is the time to cut back the dead leaves left over from the spring bulbs and to lift any bulbs you want to move or dry for planting again in the Autumn. There is still time to plant Gladioli bulbs for a late burst of flowers and colour.

If you have a Wisteria, this is when you want to trim back some of this year’s growth, this will help promote flowering next year. Likewise, the shrubs that have just stopped flowering in the last few weeks should be trimmed back to allow new growth on which next year’s flowers will bloom. Leave them too late, and you risk having few, if any, flowers. You can also look to thinning some of the older stems out to encourage new growth, which will help prevent disease by allowing more light and air into the crown.

There have been frequent spells of high winds lately, which can and has caused a lot of ‘layering’, so you should check your beds for any plants that have been blown over and get them upright and supported. Otherwise, they will kill off or hamper the growth of other plants they have covered.

Most perennial geraniums can be cut down by at least half when the flowers pass, and you should get a second flourish. Likewise, perennial cornflowers can have the same treatment, and you will get a second batch of flowers. With most flowers, you will get more flowers if you keep ‘deadheading. Not all plants will. Remove dead leaves and generally try to keep the plants clean and tidy.

There is always so much to do at this time, but there is no point in panicking. Just do what you can and let nature do the rest.

Remember to take some time out to enjoy your hard work.

Ewen

Gosh, hasn’t the summer passed quickly? Of course, the days are shortening, but everything is still going strong.

I tend to leave most herbaceous plants to get on with it until they become a bit untidy. Many plants left that bit longer can and will develop some lovely autumnal colours on the foliage. Just keep deadheading, which will, in turn, in most instances, result in longer flowering.

October is about cutting back also, and even when some plants are still looking well, we have to cut back. For example, I always find that many summer bedding plants are looking their best in mid-October. Still, we have to lift them to replace them with bedding such as Pansies, Violas, Polyanthus, Sweet Williams, etc.

Now too, is the time to be thinking of Spring flowering Bulbs. There are so many to choose from, many varieties, many colour variations, and many with differing heights and flowering times.

If planned and planted correctly, you can have various bulbs flowering from late January well into June. These range through Snowdrops, Aconites and Crocuses in January/February, followed by dwarf Tulips, Daffodils, and Irises through February/into March (there are lots of others too). Then the Fritillarias come into play as well as Daffodils, Narcissi, early Tulips and Hyacinths.  Taking us into April through to May with a wide selection of fantastic Tulips lasting into June joining up with Alliums and Camissias, then finishing off with some Lilies taking into summer again. 

October is also the perfect time to plan any thinning and moving of plants and small shrubs. The best time to do the work is from November through to January. This is because most plants and shrubs will be dormant and will not suffer from the move. However, some plants and shrubs get too big and can choke and kill other plants. Check your borders and see if any plants are suffering from the bigger boys and plan to sort it out, as above.

As I look out into the garden just now, the range of colours is vast. The berries on the Honeysuckle are a brilliant scarlet red. The Arum Italicum rods are full of orange berries. One variety of the Pineapple Lilies (Eucomis) are pure white, whilst another variety are standing 2 ft tall with lots of beautiful light green seed pods. The berries on the Cotoneaster Cornubias are turning red and beginning to cover trees. There is also a robust yellow variety. Colchicum (autumn crocuses) are thriving form, and there is an excellent show of pink Nerines. We also have a small group of blue crocuses, which are the original saffron crocus Sativus, a wonderful colour at this time of year.

As I mentioned earlier, the summer bedding plants are just fantastic just now. The colours are amazing. Also, the wide range of Gladioli which we planted in May are now amazing. We will keep these going until the first frost, then alas, they have gone, and Summer is past.

Ah well, such is gardening; it’s like the Forth Rail Bridge; work goes on all year round.

Roll on, Spring!

Ewen

August has seen everything putting on a lot of growth, hedges, in particular are needing a trim and will probably need to be done again before the end of the season. Similarly, a lot of shrubs may also need some further light trimming and thinning out. If you have Cornus/dogwood leave the stems alone, as once the leaves fall, the stems will give great colour during the winter months. (prune them back in early spring) If you have planted a new hedge, now is the time to ‘nip’ out the centre of the main stem once, and if, it has reached the desired height, this also will encourage side growth which will help thicken the hedge.

Looking for extra colour for the next few months, if you haven’t got already, why not buy some Chrysanthemums, these should last until the frosts and give a good show coming in various colours. The ones that you buy just now may not come back next year, but it is worth the spend, for the show you get. I’ve also mentioned before if you want to have colour, buy some plants each month and next year you will have achieved your goal.,

Towards the end of the month, you should start tidying up some of your herbaceous plants and giving thought to planning to maybe lifting and dividing some, this is best done toward the end of October into November. If you feel that some shrubs need to be moved, this is best left to between November and January when there will be a better chance of them surviving.

I mention your lawn most months, but you need to work at it to have it looking good all the time. There is still time to apply a light application of summer fertiliser anytime in September, this will encourage good root growth, especially after the relatively dry summer.

This is also the time to start giving some thought to buying spring-flowering bulbs. There are so many to choose from. The main thing to look for is the flowering time, if planned well, you can have bulbs flowering from late January right throw until June. Like the number to choose from, there is quite a variation in prices too. This generally means that the more you pay, the better sizes and range you will have.

September is the month to enjoy the fruits of your labour, Enjoy.

Ewen