Ensure the garden can cope with the heat of summer

August is the traditional month for Holidays in the UK with everyone looking forward to a well earned rest. With most things sown and planted a time to enjoy the garden. If you intend to go away on holiday or even staying at home, take steps to ensure the garden can cope with the heat of summer. Keep up the deadheading and weeding and water or arranging for someone to water if you are away. Automatic . watering systems, even simple soaker hose come into their own this month and are not too expensive to buy. Try to keep everything tidy this month which as it draws. to a close will start to show fast signs of approaching Autumn Has another year gone by already?

Monthly reminders:
Flower gardens - Keep up deadheading and stake untidy plants try. `Link-stakes' an Excellent product available at Farnborough. Hoe regularly to reduce weeds and open up dry soil. Keep as eye on roses and spray if mildew, rust or aphids are present. Keep mowing lawns but remember to raise blades during hot dry spells.

Water gardens - Keep an eye on water levels in ponds and fountains etc. Even in small water features, since in these low water levels could cause pump damage. Finally don't forget to keep water well oxygenated especially if you have fish. Pots and Containers - Continue with care detailed last month to ensure displays last well into Autumn. It is not too late to add new pots to existing displays and we have a massive range on display at the Centre with special `Surer Saver' 'deals on pot grown bedding at present to help keep extra displays more affordable.

Lawns - If you intend to lay turf or sow seeds next mouth NOW is the time to start preparation works good preparation is the key to success with lawns. Make sure perennial weeds are removed when digging over or. spray with a glyphosphate based weed killer whilst weeds in fall growth (don't forget glyphosphate takes a couple of weeks before any die back occurs be patient) Hoe off annual weeps at regular intervals as they germinate and keep levelling as soil settles after digging.

Garden Birds - Follow last months tips to ensure birds have access to water. Vegetables. keep harvesting vegetables whilst they are young and flavour is at it's best. Marrows and courgettes will produce more fruits if harvested regularly. Lift onions and shallots when they finish growing and top growth collapses. Runner beans can be frozen or salted if cropping is too heavy to use immediately. Sow vegetables such as spinach, parsley, beetroot, carrots, lettuce and turnips. Finally keep watering, feeding and weeding regularly.

Plants looking good at Farnborough this month
Japanese Acers - A large selection with excellent foliage colour
Roses - looking good with second flush just beginning.
Hydrangea Paniculata - our standards are just breaking flower
Herbaceous Plants - we have an extensive range all looking really good. .
Lavatera - the shrubby lavateras are in fill bloom and keep flowering until October.
Tree ferns - large and sump specimens of this attractive plant have all got full heads of fern like foliage.

All of our trees and shrubs continue to look good especially our large semi mature specimens

Finally if you intend to relax in your garden and need an arbour, arch, gazebo or seats, come and look at our new range of Timber Garden Products including Fencing Edging and decking together with Patio heaters, parasols and furniture.


This article has been kindly written by Farnborough Garden Centre

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