IT’S AUGUST and it’s hot. There’s a tendency to think of this month as a time to sit back and relax in your outside space.
And of course you should – take as much time as you like to enjoy the literal fruits of your labour.
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But if you feel like flexing your gardening muscles – then there’s still a lot of jobs you can take on.
If you fancy some Autumn colour THIS year – check out autumn crocus bulbs – also known as Colchicom – or ‘naked ladies’ because they come up without any leaves.
August is the perfect month to plant as it gives them time to settle in and develop a decent root structure before flowering . They look fab naturalised in grass – especially under trees.
And they give your garden a real Autumn glow-up.
I’ve used Crocus to buy these bulbs before – and they’re currently selling for £5.99.
If you’re thinking about colour for your outside space NEXT year – then you can start sowing hardy annuals like marigolds, cornflowers, love-in-a-mist, forget-me-nots or poppies straight into the soil. Just make sure it’s weed free and raked.
And it’s a good time to plant ‘cut and come again’ lettuce, kale, spinach, pak choi and chard.
You can also get rocket seeds in the ground for an autumn harvest.
Beetroots are also good to plant now – ‘Boltardy’ has a really good heat tolerance so great for the current heatwave – and go for fast-growing carrots like Nantes 2, and cauliflower ‘All the year round’ to get harvest later this year.
If you’ve got evergreen hedges – this is the last month for getting them in shape – after that can cause bare patches.
If they’ve got large leaves, like a cherry laurel or bay tree – it’s better to use secateurs to prune individual stems.
If they’re smaller leaves – consider using a hedge trimmer.
Pruning Yew now will also ensure density for next year.
And make sure you remove all the watershoots from the base of trees – especially fruit trees. These are the vertical really fast growing shoots that sprout out the bottom of the tree – normally after it’s had a hard prune.
Keep deadheading this month – the more you deadhead – the more you’ll get flowers coming back to fill your outside space with colour. Roses, petunias, day lilies, rudbeckias, cosmos, salvias and dahlias all need attention.
And finally – although you can start thinking about your garden for next year – just make sure you enjoy yours now.
Also in Veronica’s Column this week…
Top tips, gardening news, Plant of the Week and a competition to win a Stiga lawmower worth £269
TOP TIP Nasturtiums are one of the unsung heroes of the garden – and here’s why.
Did you know that their flowers and leaves are edible – and add a peppery kick to salads – and the leaves are high in Vitamin C
You can also decorate cakes with them, and they look lovely
And the young seed pods can be pickled and used as an alternative to capers.
They’re great as companion plants to grow alongside others – as they act as a ‘trap crop’ – attracting aphids away from other valuable crops.
They’re really low maintenance and thrive in rubbish soil.
They self seed like an absolute beast and grow really quickly.
They’re great ground cover – but also look fab trailing from baskets or over the side of containers.
Their bright, beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers really brighten up any outside space.
TOP TIP! Gardeners Question Time hero James Wong once worked out that he spent 70 per cent of his gardening time ‘holding a hose.’
To make sure you’re not doing the same in this heatwave – remember to water cleverly. This means watering first thing in the morning or at night so it’s not all evaporating. Watering deeply means you don’t have to water as often. Mulch between plants – like bark chippings or leaf mould – which will retain water. Weeding carefully means less competition for water. Collect water in any way you can around the garden – be it butts or buckets.
NEWS! Southport Flower Show returns this weekend with TV stars and top gardening experts heading up another fun-filled programme of family entertainment.
Every August more than 50,000 visitors head to the show venue at Victoria Park for the UK’s largest independent flower show.
Celebrity guests include Kelvin and Liz Fletcher, from Fletchers’ Family Farm as well as some of the best-known gardening experts in the field, including This Morning’s David Domoney and horticulturist Nick Bailey from BBC Gardeners’ World.
Plus Carole Baxter and George Anderson, presenters of The Beechgrove Garden. For tickets for today or tomorrow, visit https://www.southportflowershow.co.uk/
OFFER: YouGarden are offering Sun Gardening readers £14.99 off Cordyline ‘Torbay Dazzler’ with a special code.
Use the code CORDYLINE5 at YouGarden.com to get the two litre pot for just FIVE POUNDS instead of £19.99 (plus P&P).
WIN! Take home a Stiga Collector 140e Kit Lawn Mower worth £269. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/CollectorMower or write to Sun Collector Mower competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. August 30, 2025. T&Cs apply
PLANT OF THE WEEK Passiflora – PASSION FLOWER – really vigorous climber, hardy, beautiful flowers – mine covers a whole fence – tropical vibes, flowers from July to September, great for novice gardeners.
For more gardening content follow me @biros_and_bloom
