Sit back and relax as August helps you enjoy the fruits of your hard labour

August tends to be a month where the tasks are gentler and the order of the day is appreciating the results of the rest of your year’s work, but a few jobs done at this time make sure that the garden will keep looking beautiful throughout the fading summer.

Continue to cut back bloomed perennials – some plants like hardy geraniums respond particularly well and you may find you are rewarded with a second bloom.

Lavender can be kept compact by trimming the flowered heads and an inch below that, or you may want to keep the heads to see if any goldcrests visit, who enjoy eating the seeds.

Picking off the faded blooms of annuals and perennials will not only keep them neat but encourage them to flower into the latter part of the season. Hedges can be trimmed this month, and as their growth is at this time onwards less vigorous they will keep their shape into the spring. Unfortunately the weeds don’t get any less vigorous and will also be flowering, but don’t let full seed heads go into your compost bin or you may find that they return again next year!

In the vegetable and fruit garden keep an eye on what is ripening, so you don’t miss the optimum time for picking – if you grow courgettes and are not a fan of marrows you will understand what I mean!

Don’t forget that freezing is a great way to store a range of produce from runner beans to raspberries if you are overwhelmed.

Onions will need to be thoroughly dried to ensure they will keep. If the weather heats up this can take place outside. If alternatively you would like to sample Luton Hoo Walled Garden’s produce, you can visit us during the summer on Wednesday afternoons and see what fresh fruit and vegetables we have to offer on our stall.

Of course we are now into the school summer holidays, and there are a series of children’s art workshops and gardening classes – for more information visit our website, where you will also find details of everything else going on in the Walled Garden.

If you would like more information on our courses, call 01582 879089 or email [email protected].

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Discover the Walled Garden’s website - www.lhwg.org.uk