August is a vibrant and rewarding month in the English garden calendar. As summer reaches its peak, borders brim with colour, vegetable patches are at their most generous, and warm evenings beckon us to spend more time outside. Yet, with heatwaves, holiday absences and the gradual shift toward autumn; August also demands smart maintenance and a touch of forward planning.
In this guide, we’ll explore practical tips to keep your garden thriving in August, recommend useful tools and accessories, and highlight things to buy that will help you enjoy – and prepare -your garden for late summer and beyond.
Why it matters… While English summers can be unpredictable, August often brings dry, hot spells that causes stress to plants.
Practical Tips:
– Water early morning or evening to reduce water loss through evaporation and to prevent leaf scorch.
– Prioritise watering pots, hanging baskets and vegetables, which dry out faster than plants in borders.
– Group pots together to create a humid microclimate and make watering more efficient.
Recommendations:
– Invest in a drip irrigation system: Ideal for holiday cover or for consistent, targeted watering. We sell the Gardena range of irrigation equipment.
Top Buy:
– Gardena Micro-Drip Irrigation Starter Set – Easy to set up and efficient for flowerbeds or veg patches.
Why it matters… August is peak harvest time, especially for tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans, carrots, apples, and berries.
Practical Tips:
– Pick fruit and veg regularly to encourage continued production.
– Freeze, pickle, or dry gluts to reduce waste and enjoy homegrown produce year-round.
– Check ripeness daily—especially in greenhouses where things ripen quickly.
Recommendations:
– Buy a good set of harvesting tools, like lightweight snips and a garden trug.
– Stock up on preserving supplies – jars, freezer bags, vinegar, spices, etc.
Why it matters… Many perennials and bedding plants will flower into September if you regularly deadhead them.
Practical Tips:
– Remove faded blooms from dahlias, roses, cosmos, petunias, and salvias.
– Cut back leggy bedding plants to encourage bushier regrowth.
– Lightly feed containers after deadheading to encourage another flush of flowers.
Recommendations:
– Invest in sharp garden snips for ease and precision when cutting small shoots.
– Use a liquid plant feed every 1–2 weeks for flowering pots and baskets.
Top Buy:
– Miracle-Gro All Purpose Liquid Plant Food – Fast-acting, ideal for tired summer pots.
Why it matters… August is your last chance to sow quick-growing and cool-loving crops for autumn and early winter.
What to Sow:
– Salad leaves, rocket, spinach, radish, pak choi, chard
– Spring cabbages and overwintering onions
Why it matters… After a summer of use, lawns can look tired, parched or patchy.
Practical Tips:
– Keep blades high when mowing to avoid scalping dry grass.
– Rake out thatch and aerate compacted areas to help water reach the roots.
Why it matters… While August is still summer, preparing for the change in season helps maintain garden health and appearance.
Practical Tips:
– Cut back faded perennials and remove tired annuals.
– Clear algae or debris from ponds and water features.
– Start planning bulb planting for autumn—spring flowering daffodils and alliums can go in the ground from September.
Recommendations:
– Compost bin to make use of summer trimmings and to generate a rich mulch.
– Garden waste bags for transporting large amounts of cuttings to your local recycling centre
Top Buy:
– A Compost bin – contain your garden waste and turn it into a valuable asset for your garden next year.
Why it matters… As food sources start to dwindle later in summer, wildlife benefits from a helping hand.
Practical Tips:
– Leave some seed heads on plants (like sunflowers and teasels) for birds to feed from.
– Top up bird feeders and provide clean water daily.
– Plant late-season nectar plants like sedum, rudbeckia and echinacea for bees and butterflies.
Recommendations:
– Invest in a bird bath and bird feeders to attract and support garden visitors.
– Wildlife-friendly planting schemes for year-round habitat.
Why it matters… August evenings are perfect for alfresco dining, entertaining, or simply relaxing in the garden.
Practical Tips:
– Add outdoor lighting for ambience and extended use of your garden.
– Create a shaded area using a sail, parassol or pergola.
Recommendations:
– Use citronella candles or natural repellents to keep midges and mosquitoes at bay. We have a good range in store.
Why it matters… August is a great time to evaluate what worked—and what didn’t—so you can plan improvements for next year.
Practical Tips:
– Take photos of your garden now to help with planning your spring flowering bulb placement.
– Make notes on plant performance, gaps in borders, and colour combinations.
Recommendations:
– Invest in a garden journal or app to track ideas and planting times.
Top Buy:
– From later this month we will start to have our autumn bulb in. These bulbs need planting in the autumn and flower in the spring. It will include daffodils, tulips, alliums and hyacinths to name just a few.
August in the English garden is a time of both celebration and preparation. With flowers blooming, fruit ripening, and wildlife bustling, it’s one of the most enjoyable months to be outdoors. But, it’s also the bridge to autumn—a time to tidy, sow, plan and make the most of every golden hour.
By applying these practical tips, choosing the right tools and embracing the rhythm of the season, you can ensure your garden remains productive, beautiful, and a source of joy well into the months ahead.
Happy gardening!
Clyst St. Mary
Sidmouth Road, Clyst St. Mary,
Exeter, Devon, EX5 1AE.
Telephone: 01392 876281
Email: gardening@stbridgetnurseries.co.uk
OPENING HOURS
Monday to Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm*
Sundays 10.00am to 4.00pm* (CLOSED EASTER SUNDAY)
Bank Holidays 9.00am to 5.00pm
*Cafe open until 4.30pm each day and until 3.30pm on Sundays.
