Gardening

Edition Seventeen - August 2007

I really don't know what to say about the weather we're having, and for those of you who have been recently flooded, I'm sure gardening is the least of your worries..

Flooded gardens do recover and it is as well to just leave them to their own devices until the ground has thoroughly dried out; your home, when you are able to return to it, will take priority... 

Some practical tips here:- Your garden after it has been flooded

Jobs for the month - August

House plants

Keep house plants well watered and misted with a spray, to help keep aphids and red spider mite at bay. If you are going on holiday ask someone to look after your plants, but if that is not possible, move them to a shady part of your home, making sure they have ample water. There are self-watering systems available from most good garden centres and DIY stores.

Lawns

Lawns will still need frequent mowings during August, especially with all the rain we've had. If you are going away on holiday, allow the grass cuttings to stay on the lawn for a couple of weeks prior to your trip, which will help keep the lawn moist.

Herbaceous borders

Continue dead-heading, weeding and hoeing to keep the borders looking neat. You can sow many biennials straight into the ground this month; Cornflowers, Californian Poppies, Foxgloves and Sweet Williams, are all good examples that will get away to an early start next year. Collect seeds from the various hardy annuals you want, jumble them all up and throw them into the borders. The result will be great and you can always thin out those you don't want. 

Vegetables

Shallots and autumn-sown onions should be ready for lifting in dry weather. Lift them on a dry day (if you can find one) and then tie them and hang them in a cool, dry place. There is still time to sow a last batch of lettuce which will be appreciated in the autumn. Keep picking runner beans.

Ponds  

More maintenance this month to keep the pond free of algae and aphids. I always enjoyed blasting aphids from foliage with the hose pipe and then watching the fish eat them. Don't leave the fish to their own devices if you are going away - get a neighbour to feed them and keep an eye on them. If we have a dry spell, (anything is possible!) the water level in your pond can quickly drop and it is essential to top it up slowly, not introducing too much tap water too quickly. The temperature should not be allowed to fluctuate either. 

Wildlife

Animals of all kinds are already beginning to prepare for the long winter ahead, so start to be vigilant about feeding the birds, making sure they always have sufficient available food. I have already noticed an increase in the wasp population this year, and apart from being a little early, they seem smaller than usual. Certainly not the Euro wasp we have been told to watch out for.

Happy gardening till next month....
 

Index to previous editions of Age-Net gardening column here

RHS Flower Shows 2007

Tickets for RHS members

Privilege rate tickets are available for RHS members to all RHS shows, but tickets must be booked in advance. Click on the individual show links below for further information.
RHS members are not charged a booking fee for tickets purchased except for advanced tickets to the Malvern shows. To find out how to become an RHS member click here