July weather was full of extremes – high temperatures and monsoon-like downpours, writes Jackie Power…
August has been similar but with cooler conditions – more autumn-like with a mix of sunshine, heavy showers and chillier day and night-time temperatures. Six weeks or so after the longest day sunset is now noticeably earlier.
August is a busy gardening month; the vigorous growth that occurred through early summer has reached its peak; weeding, tidying, clearing over growth from earlier flowering plants is a constant task. And planning planting for the next season is always on the gardener’s to do list.
Regular deadheading of roses is essential to ensure continued flowering – unless they are the type that have decorative hips in autumn such as Rosa rugosa, Rosa multiflora or Rosa canina.
Summer pruning can be carried out on the hybrid tea roses – remove new growth from beneath the main flowering stem to ensure energy is not diverted which would reduce overall flowering. (Main pruning can be done in mid-September depending on the type of rose).
Some rose varieties like the Hybrid teas are difficult to grow successfully due to their susceptibility to pests and diseases. But there are many different types of roses and when choosing a variety, it is best to ensure the location is suitable – know your rose type and the care required. The ‘Old Roses’ are well worth considering; they are split into varieties – Damask, Alba, Centifolia and Gallica – then ‘summer flowering’ and ‘repeat summer flowering’. As the name indicates they are old varieties (mostly introduced in the 1800s); most are highly perfumed with interesting flower forms and colours. ‘Rose De Rescht’ – is an Old Rose variety with small magenta flowers and a strong fragrance. It does repeat flower (not all the old types do).
Generally, roses need to be fed twice a year starting March/April and then again in early July. Planting season starts in October – and so think about choosing a rose for the garden or container.
Deadhead Geraniums, Fuchsias and Petunias regularly to encourage flowering through the remaining weeks of summer. Continue to feed container and window box plants (as per product label instructions).
The herbaceous beds and borders are full of flowering annuals and perennials – Cosmos, Gladiola, Dahlias, the smaller types of sunflowers and Dianthus.
The familiar giant annual Sunflowers grown as specimens or in groups are a joy with their large yellow heads.
Enjoy the wealth of colourful summer flowers – before they make way for the shades of autumn.