August in the garden: keep the colour going and look at structure
A practical monthly guide for gardens across Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire.
By August the garden can start to look a little tired. Early summer plants are going over, lawns may be dry and some borders lose the shape they had in June.
There can still be weeks of good weather ahead, so the aim is to keep things going without fighting the season.
Keep flowers and new planting going
Regular deadheading is one of the easiest ways to keep colour in the garden. Dahlias, roses, penstemons and summer bedding can continue well into early autumn if spent flowers are removed.
Keep watering anything planted this year and check containers during dry spells. Established plants should usually be encouraged to manage for themselves unless conditions become extreme.
Trim lavender carefully
Once lavender has finished flowering, it can be lightly trimmed to keep it compact. Avoid cutting hard into old woody growth.
Look beyond the flowers
August is also a useful month for looking at structure. When some of the flowers start fading, can the garden still hold together? Trees, hedges, grasses, paths, walls and larger shrubs are what give it shape when the flowers stop doing all the work.
If a border only looks good for six weeks in June and July, that is worth knowing.
Record what needs changing
Take photographs now. They are surprisingly useful a few months later when you are trying to remember what grew where, what looked good and which parts need changing.
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