Elly West addresses ‘the bounty and burnout’ that can occur in summer garden displays, sharing helpful tips to make the most of late bloomers, and knowing where best to direct any TLC so that your flowers flourish for as long as possible.
Plant of the month: Echinacea
These easy-to-grow perennials have large, bold daisy-type flowers in shades of pink, orange, red and white. Echinacea comes from the Greek word ‘echinos’, meaning hedgehog, but they are also known as coneflowers, because of the prominent spiny centre cone in the middle of the flower.
They are attractive to bees and butterflies, and flower from late summer into autumn, the seed heads providing interest and structure in winter. Popularised in the 1990s by Piet Oudolf and other designers advocating prairie-style planting, they combine well grown in swathes alongside grasses.
Grow them towards the back of the border in full sun or light shade, and well-drained soil, and dead-head to keep the flowers coming. Plants will die back in winter and reappear the following spring, and are suited to cottage-style planting, informal gardens and wildlife gardens. Popular varieties include ‘Magnus’ (pink), ‘White Swan’ (white) and ‘Green Envy’ (green and pink). ‘Summer Cocktail’ (pictured) turns from orange-yellow to a beautiful salmon pink.
It’s the peak of summer, which can be a strange time in the garden with a mixture of bounty and burnout. Crops are ready to be harvested and weeds are romping away, but borders and containers can start to look tired and past their best. However, just a few timely tasks and some extra care will keep things looking fresh so you can make the most of your plot and continue to enjoy the great outdoors.
Many plants are winding down and showing signs of fatigue, especially during periods of hot, dry weather. Collecting rainwater and using it to water the garden can make all the difference during periods of drought, especially with nationwide water shortages predicted. (Please forgive me if we have a wash-out summer! We all know how variable our weather can be week to week).
If water is scarce, ignore the lawn, which will generally bounce back, and focus on plants in pots, new plantings and crops. Water them in the early morning or evening to reduce evaporation, and consider moving containers to shadier parts of the garden, especially if you are going on holiday. Aim the water at the roots and give the soil a good soaking every few days as necessary, as opposed to more regular light sprinklings, which are less effective and encourage shallower roots. A layer of mulch in the form of compost or bark chippings will also help to keep the soil cool and moist while suppressing weeds and improving soil structure.
Plants tend to stop flowering once they’ve set seed, but can be kept going for many weeks longer if you take the time to deadhead them as the blooms fade. If this feels too fiddly, then a light trim all over with shears can often rejuvenate the plant and encourage fresh leaves and even another flush of flowers. Hardy geraniums, salvias, achilleas, alchemilla and nepeta can all be cut back after flowering to give them a second wind. A dilute liquid feed will give an extra pick-me-up for exhausted looking plants once you’ve cut them back. Cutting flowers to bring indoors has the same benefits, encouraging new flowers, with the added bonus of fresh blooms in vases around your home.
Fill gaps in the borders or containers with plants that will provide instant impact for a quick refresh. Among those looking good on the nursery benches in August are dahlias, Japanese anemones, rudbeckia, echinacea, sedums, kniphofia, asters and ornamental grasses.
Kitchen garden prep
While many food crops are ready to harvest in August, it’s also a good time to plant ahead for later crops such as winter cabbages, kale and broad beans. Succession seed sowing is key as early crops come to an end, but these can be replaced by quick-growing crops such as radishes, rocket, basil, parsley, spring onions, spinach and salad leaves.
Autumn-flowering bulbs can also be planted now, such as autumn crocus, colchicums and nerines, for flowers from September. Plus, it’s a good time to start planning ahead and browsing the catalogues for spring bulbs. Some can be planted in August, such as daffodils, crocuses, alliums and irises. Tulips do better if planted later, from October to December when the soil has cooled down, to help avoid the risk of fungal diseases.
Some seeds from annuals and perennials in the flower garden are ready to gather and save for next year. Wait until the pods have turned brown and you can hear the seeds rattling inside, empty the pods and discard the waste, then spread the seeds out on paper on a window sill for a day or two to finish drying. You can then put them in labelled envelopes in an airtight container, ready for sowing next spring. Ones to try include poppies, sweet peas, nigella, cornflowers, hollyhocks and aquilegia.
A helping hand
Help wildlife in the garden in late summer by providing food, shelter and water. Leave some areas more messy and wild if you can, perhaps with patches of nettles or overripe fruit. Seedheads provide food for birds, late flowers provide nectar after other sources fade, and bees will shelter in hollow stems. Top up bird baths in dry weather, and even dishes of water on the ground will help small mammals, bees and butterflies.
This point of the summer is also a good time to pause and reflect on what has worked well this year and what hasn’t. A garden journal is a great way to remember which plants thrived and survived heat, drought or pests without a fuss, and others that didn’t do so well, plus the reasons why. Perhaps they were in the wrong place, or were neglected during a holiday away. Plan ahead for changes next year, thinking about what you might move, repeat or replace next year. Gardening might be cyclical, but each year brings fresh insight and challenges, so next time you are kicking back on the sun lounger, take the time to assess and plan for an even better garden next year.
Elly West is a professional garden designer, working in and around the Bath and Bristol areas; find her at ellyswellies.co.uk
