Mzz B's August Garden Blog

Great Star

Lacecap

Paniculata

Merviele de Sanguine

Oak leaved hydrangea( quercifolia)

It's been a year for hydrangeas. They have never looked so good. I think it was the rain over last winter, they usually grow well in areas with higher rainfall than we have and mild winters. Some are susceptible to early spring frosts. I never used to be a fan of mophead hydrangeas- a seaside shrub that just looked blobby!- sorry if you are fan!. However I have discovered that there are lots of different hydrangeas which are a bit more exciting and do seem to manage our weather. These are the paniculatas, arborescens, and the lace caps.They can grow quite large. But you can take older stems back to the ground to encourage new growth, and prune back to a healthy bud after all frost has gone. With Lacecaps you can cut off the dead flowers in winter as they are hardier.
The garden seems to be on the cusp of changing- lots of plants have done their bit , and the late summer flowers have taken over- dahlias, crocosmia, phlox, persicaria and the hydrangea. Hardy salvias have continued to flower. But there are still plenty of jobs to keep us occupied!
Jobs to do in the Garden

• Now is harvest time- keep picking beans and courgettes to encourage more to grow.
• Clear out finished stems of broad beans- you can cut them off at the base to keep the roots with their nitrogen nodules or put them to rot down on the compost heap.
• Take off the flowers of tomatoes and cut of the top growth a couple of leaves above the top truss- they are unlikely to develop into fruit, in doing this you encourage the plant to ripen the fruits that it has.
• There is still time to sow salad crops like lettuce and radish.
• Sow winter salad crops like Mizuna and Mibuna- peppery leaves which can be eaten raw or cooked in stir fries.
• Dead head and cut back perennials that have gone over, its amazing how much better the garden looks after this treatment.
• Semi ripe cuttings can be taken of shrubs. For more information on taking cuttings look at Monty Dons Tips and Advice online.
• Order bulbs for next year, to plant in September or October, but do not plant tulips until November. Beware mice eating your bulbs in pots, and cover them with a mouse proof mesh.
• Now the bird nesting season is over hedges can be cut.
• Prune lavender to keep it looking good, and to allow it to regrow before the autumn.
• Collect seed- let it dry the store in paper envelopes or bags, making sure to label clearly. Some hardy annuals like cornflowers can be sown immediately and in the spring, , this gives you annuals at different times of the summer.
• Cut back mini meadows and bigger areas of long grass, now the seeds have dropped. If you can cut it quite low, then sow yellow rattle seed into it. This will germinate in the autumn and start to diminish the vigour of the grass allowing more space for wildflowers. Wildflowers that germinate in the autumn make stronger plants to survive the winter.

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