A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.
~ James Dent
August – the last true month of summer, and while the list of tasks to do this month is shorter than most, there’s still plenty to get on with in the garden. Whilst the sun is shining and the days are warm and dry, your number one priority is to make sure your plants are getting enough water.
August is the month for cutting armfuls of flowers to brighten the house and for harvesting fruits and veg that you’ve been nurturing in anticipation. Homegrown vegetables are best eaten fresh, but most years will see a glut in something that has particularly enjoyed the growing conditions provided. Seasonal abundance means jams, pickles and chutneys; preserves stretch the bounty of a productive summer into those long winter months when summer seems so very far away – look out for our pickle recipe below!
Many a memorable evening can be made by simply sharing homegrown food eaten outdoors on a warm evening with the air perfumed by strategically placed scented plants, so enjoy this month in your garden.
Most of all, don’t forget to sit back, relax and browse through our NEW 2020 Bulb Catalogue…
- Continue deadheading all faded blooms. Even if the plants won’t flower again, deadheading saves them wasting energy on producing unwanted seed-heads
- Summer prune your wisteria and rambling roses once they’ve finished flowering to improve next year’s flowering
- Bindweed will be in flower this month. Those white trumpets may look attractive but now is a good time to tackle this pesky weed. Follow the long tendrils to their source and remove as much root as you can
- Sweet peas will be coming to an end soon but the more you pick and feed them, the longer they’ll keep going!
- Parsley and other herbs sown now will mean that you have a fresh supply for the winter
- Aubergines will be ready this month. Pick them when they are firm and nice and shiny
- Sow hardy annuals in situ and they’ll bloom early next year
- Hardy geraniums will be looking messy now, so cut them back and you’ll get some fresh new growth
- Help tomatoes to ripen by removing any leaves that are shading the fruits from the sun and by regularly feeding. Keep removing side shoots
- Continue deadheading all faded blooms. Even if the plants won’t flower again this will save them wasting energy on producing unwanted seed-heads
Seeds to Sow in August
Sowing vegetables in August is all about those fast-growing varieties. Think speedy salads and winter wellness, as there are many veg that come into their own at this time of year when the weather can be a little cooler.
If you plan carefully, the veg you sow in August will grow into those autumn dinners for the family, so it’s time to start sowing cabbages, chard, salad mixes, radishes and turnips. Cover cabbages and chard with a cloche to protect them, and you’ll be rewarded with homegrown veg in time for winter.
View Our Veg Seeds To Sow In August
NEW 2020 Bulb Catalogue
Our 2020 Bulb Catalogue is out soon! Featuring autumn and spring flowering bulbs, winter bedding, perennials, winter cropping veg and more.
Here are a few highlights from the catalogue…
On The Cover – Delightfully Dutch Bulb Collection
Bring the magic of the Dutch Keukenhof to your garden this spring. A superb mix of some of the best Dutch bulbs with good contrasting colour. Excellent cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Plant in masses for stunning displays.
A wonderful array of varieties and colours that will look stunning in pots, containers and borders. You’ll find bulbs by variety such as Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinths… Plus exclusive bulb mixes, colour themed bulbs, our Pick & Mix for £5 a pack offer and lots more!
This year why not try our Bulb Starter Kit – everything you need to get your bulbs off to a great start for only £39.95 (saving £24!).
All Year Round Colour
Who says your garden can’t look spectacular all year round? Don’t let the dreary UK winters get the better of you and your garden, make sure your flower beds look breath-taking all year. Our winter bedding must-haves will flower from autumn until late spring, providing you with gorgeous colours in the cooler, darker months.
Keep Cropping Through Autumn & Beyond!
Come late August you’ll have started to harvest some of your summer veg and you’ll have empty spaces to fill. Why not fill them with some our later planting crops which we’ve grown on for you in larger pots, ready to plant straight into your garden.
With only 10 days left of our Great British Grow Off Competition we would love for more of you to get involved and show us how you have used your garden or small space as best as possible to grow amazing crops, whether that is flowers or fruit and veg.
We have 4 categories for you to enter: First time growing, Family Growing, Small Spaces Growing and Repurposed Gardens. We’ll choose one winning image from each category and its owner will receive a £50 Suttons Gift Voucher to spend online.. But hurry, the competition closes on the 10th August!
Submit your image here or via social media. Click here for more info and T&Cs.
Here are a few current entries to give you some inspiration.
National Allotment Week
This year’s National Allotment Week is ‘Growing Food for Health and Well-being’, a reflection of the many benefits of growing, cooking and eating your own fruit and vegetables.
The week runs from 10th – 16th August and this year they would like plot-holders to enter their NAW Competition which asks to produce videos and storyboards about your allotment story.
The 3 categories for the competition are:
- “What my allotment means to me” for individuals (16 years upwards) – £100 prize – NAS members, non-members free NAS membership plus £50
- “The history of our site” or “Our site’s projects and plans for the future” for associations – £200 prize – NAS members, non-members free association membership up to the value of £200
- “What I grow at the allotment” for children (up to 16 years)- £50 prize
National Allotments Week started in 2002 as a way of raising awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities.
To celebrate the 18th year of National Allotment Week we’ve got a fantastic offer on our Autumn / Winter cropping veg plants with 36 plants for only £36! – perfect for sharing with friends and family on the allotment or in your garden.
Make Your Own Piccalilli At Home
Offer Of The Month
Cottage Garden Lucky Dip
18 x 9cm Potted Plants For Only £30 – Save £42!
- The perfect selection of perennial plants for your summer displays.
- 9cm potted plants ready to be planted straight into pots & border for instant colour.
- At a fraction of the cost this perennial plant selection is a great lucky dip of plants!
- Plants are chosen by our expert team on our Devon nursery.
- Immediate Despatch For Instant Displays!