by Janis on 30th August 2024 / 0 comments
It’s been a month of weeding & pruning
The month of August in the southeast of the UK has been quite a delightful month; the sun has been shining, our patio pots are flourishing, and the BBQ has been used on numerous occasions. Happy Days!
I don’t know about your gardens, but we seem to have considerably fewer visitors of the feathered variety at the moment. A couple of months ago, no sooner than we filled up the bird feeders, they were empty again. But not anymore.
I appreciate that the fledgling birds may now have flown the nests, but their numbers are decidedly lacking. Have you found a similar scenario in your garden?
Pinterest?
Why not Pin it for later?
What we’ve been up to in August
In the garden and on the websiteI have now tackled the unruly weeds in our cottage garden. We have been having an ongoing challenge with geraniums in the last couple of years. As soon as we think we have them under control in specific areas, they pop up elsewhere.
Cosmos around the apple tree
In early August, we had a brief visit to Polesden Lacey, a National Trust site in Surrey. All the signs were good that it was going to be a lovely day, and when we arrived, the heavens opened, and it rained and rained.
Inside Polesden Lacey
Needless to say, we didn’t visit the gardens; we’ll return another day; however, we had a lovely look around the Edwardian manor house once owned by Margaret Greville, a wealthy socialite.
Achievements for August
Let’s keep ticking those boxesAs mentioned, I’ve succeeded in digging amongst the wanted plants in the flowerbeds and between the stepping stones. I removed most of the bindweed and creeping geraniums. Although this is definitely an improvement, I need to keep an eye on them, and as soon as I spot more, they need to come out.
Nasturtiums in bloom
We have also managed to get some hedge trimming done. The shrubs in our front garden look much better, and the holly and bay trees in our back garden are also better.
Earlier in the year, I grew some foxglove from seed. I’ve been nurturing them in the cold frame, and now they have all been planted, ready for a display of colour next year.
Our new Hebe
My parents have just bought us a Hebe Donna, so we’ve now planted her in our garden, and it appears that it will continue to flower into the autumn.
So, let’s see what we’ve managed to tick off for August.
Cleared the weeds from our cottage garden bed.
Tidied the front garden.
Split and moved some of the Crocosmia.
Planted our excess of Foxgloves.
Pruned the shrubs in the front garden and removed an unwanted shrub.
Trying to control the black spot on our roses.
Pruned the bay and holly in the back garden.
Lessons learnt & mistakes made
You live and learnOur tomato plants haven’t done so well this year. In spring, we planted them in troughs, which, in hindsight, required more drainage. We’ll ensure they are prepared properly for next season and continue to feed them through the season.
Our plans for the coming month
What’s on your to-do list?Prune the many shrubs in the back garden.
Tackle the raised bed area of our garden.
Weed the driveway.
Continue to monitor our garden tasks on the RHS Planner; this online tool is so handy.
Keep on top of the weeding in the Cottage Garden section.
Decided on the planting for our two front garden beds
Prune unruly shrubs in the secret garden.
Clear chilli and tomato plants
Please let us know what you have planned in your garden this month; we’d love to know.
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