August often brings hot and dry weather, making it a pivotal time in French gardens. Despite the holiday season, there’s still plenty to do to keep the garden thriving.
Essential Garden Tasks
- Watering and Feeding:Keep pot plants well-watered and nourished.
- Deadheading:Remove spent flowers from annuals to prolong their blooming period.
- Weeding:Stay vigilant as weeds can quickly spread their seeds in the dry summer days.
- Harvesting:Enjoy the abundance of plums, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, chillies, beans, and more.
Seasonal Garden Shifts
August marks a turning point when gardens begin to transition from lush green to a more dried and structured appearance. Here’s how to make the most of this change:
Iris Care
- Cut Back and Clean:Trim the stems and leaves of bearded irises if not done in July. Clear away dead leaves and weeds around the rhizomes, and expose the tops to the sun for better blooming next year.
- Dividing Irises:August is ideal for dividing overcrowded iris rhizomes, spacing them generously and enriching the soil. Share surplus rhizomes with friends.
Euphorbia Maintenance
- Remove Seed Heads:Cut off the brown seed heads to showcase new growth. Remember to wear gloves and long sleeves as euphorbia sap is toxic.
Acanthus Mollis
- Seed Collection:Remove browning leaves while leaving tall flower spikes. Collect seeds from the spikes and plant them in pots with compost for new plants.
Stachys Lanata
- Trim Flowers:Cut back the flowers to let the silver, felty leaves shine through the rest of the year.
Lavender Pruning
- End of Month:Trim lavender into compact shapes, avoiding old wood to prevent legginess.
Garden Tidying and Planning
- Clear Dead Foliage:Remove dead or decaying leaves and flowers, but keep structural seed heads for birds and aesthetics. Compost the waste to enrich the soil for next year.
- Addressing Overgrowth:Tackle overgrown plants like Phlomis fruticosa by cutting them back or removing them to make space for new plants.
Preparing for Autumn
- Weeding and Revealing:Clearing plants exposes bare earth, allowing for easy weeding and showcasing early autumn bloomers like cyclamen and colchicums.
- Autumn Planting:Use the exposed areas for planting spring flowering bulbs and perennials for next year.
Embrace the seasonal changes in the garden, preparing for the transition into autumn with the guidance of Seeds Wild.
