Plenty of natural foods are available now and the garden is full of activity.

Ladybirds and hoverflies enjoy banqueting on the flush of greenfly and dragonflies will appear in large numbers, having just emerged from watery homes looking for midges.

Summer visiting birds will use the wealth of food to prepare to migrate, while resident birds and mammals are raising their final brood of young and lacewings prepare for hibernation.

Dry spells may ensure certain animals, such as hedgehogs, badgers or foxes, appear during the day to drink from ponds as they struggle to find food.

Now is a good time to see how you might want to change your garden plan as plants will be at their largest. Perhaps there is a gap on a wall to establish a climbing plant or provide another site for nesting birds.

Other activities for this month include sending in your order for spring bulbs early in the month, if you intend to order by mail. Cut off canes of raspberries that bore fruit.

Wait to dig potatoes until tops die back. Even if you don't enter crops in horticultural competitions, why not go along to one to get ideas and see how your flowers and vegetables compare?

Here are a few more deeds for the months:

Planning:

  • Prepare a landscape plan for the planting of trees and shrubs in the autumn.
  • Continue to take notes and/or photograph to plan future buildings.

  • Chores and maintenance:
  • If rain is still lacking continue to practice water-wise horticultural techniques.
  • Determine which plants are most important and water them first.
  • Allow lawns to go dormant; they will green up again when rain returns.
  • Remove weeds before they set seed.
  • Mow lawns regularly and spot-seed to renovate existing lawns between mid-August and mid-September.
  • De-thatch and aerate lawns to promote root growth.
  • Continue to aerate and moisten compost pile to speed decomposition.
  • Continue to deadhead annuals and perennials to encourage continuous growth.
  • Continue to check for insect pests and treat accordingly.
  • Continue to remove any fallen leaves and debris which can harbour insect pests and disease organisms.
  • Cut flowers for drying: yarrow, cornflower, various grasses, cockscombe etc.


  • Planting:
  • Continue to propagate spring-flowering perennials.
  • Continue to propagate herbs from new growth and transplant into pots for winter use.
  • Divide bearded iris.
  • Plant late season annuals like ornamental kale and cabbage for autumn colour.
  • Plant out seedlings of cool vegetable plants for autumn harvest e.g. autumn lettuce.
  • Sow seed of late harvest vegetables such as carrots, beets and turnips.
  • Plant out seedling, biennials for next year's bloom such as foxgloves and bedding cabbage.
  • Plant broad-leaved and needle-leaved evergreens from late August through to mid October.

  • Pruning/Fertilising:
  • Continue to deadhead roses.
  • Prune summer-flowering trees and shrubs after flowering is complete.
  • Lightly prune overgrown hedges and deciduous shrubs.
  • Cut back leggy annuals.
  • Feed needle and borad-leaved evergreens with iron chelate if leaves are yellowing.
  • Fertilise roses to encourage last new growth and hardening off before first frost.
  • Continue to fertilise annuals and container each month.
  • Continue to fertilise chrysanthemums weekly until buds show colour.

  • Indoors:
     Shape and pinch back houseplants before returning them indoors.

Check houseplants for insect pests and treat as necessary before bringing them in.

For any gardening tips contact Tom Cole, Head of the London School of Horticulture and Landscaping, Capel Manor College, Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 4RQ by post (including a stamped address envelope) or by email Thomas.cole@capel.ac.uk