Gardening by Month - August

Find time to enjoy your garden in August. While you’re making the most of any good weather in the garden, consider what you might improve. It helps to take photos and make notes on what’s working well and what could be changed. This is particularly useful with plant combinations and colour themes.

As August leads us towards a mellow September and autumnal conditions, it’s a good time to get new plants established. Let’s look at some wildlife-friendly plants that will keep the colour and interest going as well as attracting bees and butterflies through to the autumn:

• The penstemon has gorgeous trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, purple, white and red that provide nectar.
• Sedum is a great food source for bees and butterflies through to early autumn. Sedums are succulents that flower in shades of red, pink, yellow and white. Plant them at the front of a sunny border where they can soak up the sun.
• The Japanese anemone thrives in light to partial shade but will tolerate full sun, so long as the soil is moist. Late summer and early autumn varieties range from informal double pink flowers through to pure white, semi-double flowers or single white blooms.
• Heuchera is another pollinator that mixes well with country garden favourites like aster, rudbeckia and sedum.

The above are all perennials that will grow back year after year. Some will form attractive seed heads to enjoy right into winter. They often look good mixed with ornamental grasses. Visit Garsons to discover a wonderful selection of late perennials that keep colour and interest going well into winter.

With all the deadheading, cutting back and lawn mowing, why not turn it into your own compost? It’s easier than you would think. As well as garden waste, you can use vegetable peelings and egg shells. We have a range of composters available at Garsons. Ask in the garden centre for advice.

Remember to leave out a fresh water supply for passing wildlife. Choose an ornamental bird bath and have a bowl of water on the ground too.

Until next month, enjoy August and happy gardening!