I know I say this every month but I can’t believe we’re already looking at August in our garden. Where is this year going? My monthly update is a little later than usual, due to our being away for a couple of weeks. One of which was during the UK heatwave, so a lot of things died off through lack of TLC. But a weekend’s deadheading, tying in, and weeding has made a huge difference so, better late than never, here we go 🙂
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What’s flowering now?
Our pots at the front of the house are the best they’ve ever been, I think. We have a lemonade yellow cosmos, purple geraniums, petunias, and lavender. My favourite colour mix and they smell wonderful too.
Moving around the side, our two clematis are flowering happily, as is our climbing rose (which I dread pruning as I have to use a ladder, and I’m prone to falling off…)
The edible flower seeds I sowed earlier this year have really done me proud. We have calendula, chamomile and borage, all of which are bee magnets too. They’re lovely in salads, and home-brewed chamomile tea is a new thing for me, although borage in my G&T ice cubes is an old favourite! Tip: if you’ve never tried growing your own edible flowers, do give it a go, they don’t need a rich soil and will be fine with just the occasional watering.
As I’m sure you’ve probably noticed, this is THE month for sunflowers, and August in our garden is no exception. A rogue sunflower seed took root in our vegetable bed (just where I don’t want it) and has produced a Godzilla of a plant. It’s simply towering over everything, including our poor gooseberry bush, which isn’t getting anywhere near enough light. Despite the fact that Flora also has gi-huge sunflowers in her little patch, she’s forbidden me to cut this one down, so no goosegogs crumble for Alan this year.
I’m really thrilled with a couple of the plants in my cutting beds. This is the first year I’ve managed to grow any blue agapanthus and my new (grown from a tuber this year) pink Penhill Watermelon dahlia is producing dinner plate sized blooms. One at a time, to be sure, but quite spectacular. Although my heart still belongs to my first ever dahlia, my beautiful Roxy (this month’s cover picture), five year old and as beautiful as ever. We still have a few blue cornflowers but sadly all my sweet peas went to seed as we weren’t around to pick them for two weeks, so I’ve pulled them all up. Note: sweet peas gone to seed look just like pea pods but DO NOT be tempted to eat them, they are poisonous. That said, I’ve saved a few pods for sowing next February (always assuming I can find them again in six months’ time).
My cutting beds are beginning to look a little bare, so I’ll be popping down to the garden centre to pick up some on sale perennials shortly. Tip: this is a great time to grab a few bargains as many plants are looking tired, but don’t worry about a few dead leaves on top. As long as the roots haven’t dried out, a quick soak in a bucket of water and they’ll be fine. And will give you beautiful blooms this time next year too.
What’s fruiting now?
It’s not just in the orchard that we’re lucky enough to be growing edibles. We’ve got masses of wild strawberries (which are delicious in drinks too), a few blueberries that the blackbird missed, some yummy rhubarb, and a whopping grape harvest to come. Really, all that sunshine earlier this year has resulted in an explosion of fruits.
Moving into the orchard, we have some quince, a few peaches, and some tiny figs. Sadly, the howling gales earlier this year ripped away half our old peach tree but the remaining fruit is still looking fairly healthy.
Another success story is our Victoria plum tree, which our erstwhile gardener told us had brown rot and should be cut down. So much for his expertise, the tree is positively laden with fruit. I had one the other day and it was gorgeous. And our newest apple tree has valiantly produced a few tiny apples too. They won’t be edible this year but fingers crossed for 2020.
Talking of apples, our stalwart old mystery apple tree is as laden as ever. We have no idea what variety of apples they are, but they ripen very early, have a slight fizz, taste delicious raw, juiced, or cooked, and are all over by mid-September. And they don’t keep, unfortunately, so we have to make the most of the glut now.
Several years ago Alan bought two cherry trees and a pear tree from our local Poundstore, and they’ve fruited reliably ever since. The cherries are over now but the pears are getting going. As are the tiny little kiwis from a plant I bought about six years ago.
And last, but certainly not least, do you remember how excited I was that our damson tree had a mass of fruit for the very first time? Well, just look at them now! Damsons are usually dark purple, almost black, but apparently these yellow ones are a variety of wild damson. They’re supposed to be great for cooking (jam and gin <grin>) but actually they taste lovely raw too.
August in the greenhouse
The greenhouse is looking rather crowded now. The tomatoes are ones I sow every year, they’re a Rainbow blend but you never know what colours you’re going to get until they’re ripe. I need to water thoroughly twice a week and keep pinching out the side shoots to keep the energy directed into the fruits.
And we’ve got three different varieties of cucumber this year: one grown from seed, two others from different garden centres. The aubergine plant is something Alan turned up with last month. I’ve never grown aubergines before, so watch this space!
Outdoor jobs for August
August in our garden will see me deadheading daily to try and prolong the life of the flowers. Oh, and weeding, watering, collecting seeds for future sowings. Our summer fruiting raspberries are over now so I’ve cut down this year’s growth and tied in the new green shoots, which is where next year’s crop will (hopefully) fruit.
And as well as weekly grass cutting, now that the nesting birds have more or less all fledged, Alan can get on with giving our hedges a summer trim. A job he simply loves to do, haha, not.
Wildlife
We’ve planted massed of nectar rich flowers over the years and one of the favourites for bees and butterflies are our two buddleias. Any time you walk past them, you’re in danger of being hit in the face either by butterflies or the biggest bumbles I’ve ever seen.
And we’re keeping our ponds topped up (although the baby frogs are more or less all gone now) and the bird feeders, because the exhausted parents need all the easy energy they can find.
Flora’s garden
You could barely see anything in Flora’s patch for all the weeds after our two weeks away. After a concerted effort involving all three of us, things are a lot clearer now. She’s still got some lovely flowers including some huge sunflowers, a wild mallow and some gorgeous little (and edible) pansies.
And although her carrots didn’t come to much (I’ve never had any luck with them either), her apple mint and lemon balm are both coming along nicely. She’s plotting to sell fresh herb teas to luckless passers-by for the king’s ransom of £5 a mug. You have to admire her entrepreneurial spirit if not her business acumen…
August in our garden
So that concludes August in our garden and if you’re still here, then thank you for persevering with my monthly horticultural ramble. Both our garden and orchard are my happy places and I’ll be making time to sit outside in them with a very large gin and tonic as often as I can. After all, I need to start planning what bulbs to buy for planting throughout in September/October/November, so as to enjoy floral displays from January onwards. Alan’s credit card awaits its annual Autumn battering 🙂
What are you doing in your garden or green space this month? What have been your success stories so far this year? And what are you looking forward to the most?
Nicola Niemc says
Ooh, I’d love it if our cosmos were lemonade yellow, but ours are all plain white! We have more pink cornflowers than blue, which is also a wee bit annoying (blue being my favourite colour!), but our blue agapanthus is still in flower too 💙 That’s so exotic, growing your own peaches! And your white buddleia looks pristine, with the lovely bumbles standing out 🐝 Can I ask, do you know what time of year you should trim lavender? Ours is starting to die off, and I want to keep the dried flowers for the house.
Lisa says
You can get all kinds of coloured cosmos these days – this year I sowed white, bright pink and lemonade yellow! And lucky you, I’d love some pink cornflowers for a change. As regards your lavender, if it’s starting to die back then cut all the flowers off now. If the foliage is still green, that will keep it going for a while and you might get new buds. If not, then cut the foliage back as well, ready for next year 🙂
Casey (@mccourtskee) says
I’m super jealous! Your garden is beautiful. Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I have no yard and I’ve always wanted a garden. We are moving in a month though and we think we will have some space to have a tiny garden though! I love gardens and think they are a great way to grow your own produce as well as give you a peace of mind.
Gorgeous!
Casey
Lisa says
Ah, thank you so much, that’s so kind:) I went from a window box in a flat (for 15 years) to our garden in one fell swoop so it’s been a steep learning curve, haha. You’re absolutely right though, gardens are wonderful for wellness and self-care. And good luck, I hope your new garden goes well!
Call the medical reg says
An interesting read. I had never thought of growing edible flowers. I liked the comment about Flora’s entrepreneurial ways.
Lisa says
Thank you – I’m not sure many people do actually, it’s fairly new for me as well. And yes, she is a live wire!
Corinne ❄️ (@WhatCorinneDid) says
I love all your “month” in your garden posts. Always so many pretty flowers! I love gardening but i don’t have a garden, so it is great to see your garden
Lisa says
Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you to say so! X
Jess says
That’s a brilliant garden you’ve got going there. Very inspirational. Thank you. 🙂
Lisa says
Ah, thank you, that’s such a lovely compliment to receive! X
Sunshine with Savannah says
This is such a wholesome and wonderful post! Everything looks absolutely lovely. I’m a huge fan of the sunflowers especially. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Lisa says
Wow thank you so much, that’s such a lovely thing to say! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 X
Kim says
Your garden is looking beautiful Lisa. I especially love the look of your purple geraniums, and convinced my mum to get some for her garden. 😊 If I were Flora I wouldn’t let you chop down that sunflower either! It’s a beast. Do you ever use the seeds in cooking or eat them as a snack? I do love that you grow your own edible flowers and the photos of your fruits and veg made me smile. Everything looks so colourful.
Lisa says
Aw yay, so am I an influencer now? 😉🤣 TBH we tend to leave the sunflower seeds for the birds but now you mention eating them I might try that as well, thank you! X
Amie.🌼 (@acurvyvegan) says
Your garden is honestly stunning, I love seeing all your plants!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Lisa says
Thank you, Amie, I’m so glad you enjoyrd it! X
Britt K says
So pretty! While I do a fair amount of vegetable gardening both with a backyard garden as well as container gardening throughout our back yard area, I haven’t done much in the way of flowers. However, I did order some rose seeds recently and plan on making a go at that
Lisa says
Thank you! And oooh, rose seeds, they sound interesting, I’d love to know how you get on 😉 x
glowsteady says
Every month I think about how pretty/ bright & colourful your garden must be in person. It’s great seeing all of the fruit too! It’s so strange that your apples come this early. The comment about Flora’s entrepreneurial skills made me laugh x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
Lisa says
Ah, it’s so much better in real life, photos don’t really do it justice. And thank you, I’ve clearly taught Flora well 🤣 x
poofbeegoneblog says
Lovely. I’m a city gal from Miami, FL so I wll live vicariously through you.
Lisa says
We went to Miami for our honeymoon, so I have very fond memories of your city! 😉
Nicola Niemc says
Thanks! That’s my job for the weekend 😊
Lisa says
Snip, snip, snip! 🙂
Jenny in Neverland says
Wow your garden is blooming! All our flowers and stuff are pretty much dead now ugh! I love sun flowers – when I was in play group, I won a competition for growing the tallest sun flower! x
Lisa says
Well, we’ve had a LOT of rain (sobs) so that’s helped, haha. And congratulations, that’s such a lovely memory to treasure! X
Kayleigh Zara says
Gosh your garden looks absolutely beautiful and you’ve got so many wonderful things growing! I especially love the sunflowers they look superb and the strawberries! I bet they’re delicious x
Kayleigh Zara 🌿 http://www.kayleighzaraa.com
Lisa says
Thank you so much, that’s so kind, we are very lucky and have good soil, plus I just plant anything and everything so I guess it’s the law of averages, haha. THe wild strawberries are delicious though! x
sophienaylor1 says
These picture are so pretty!! I’m not very into gardening but it seems like something I definitely need to get into – I know my mum loves it haha x
Lisa says
Thank you! I lived in a flat for 15 years so our garden was a steep learning curve, but the feeling of growing our own is so amazing, I’m sure you’d love it too 😉 x
Lauren says
Your garden is looking beautiful. So many gorgeous summery colours! Definitely a nice bright view, during all this rainy weather! Thank you for sharing Lisa xxx
Lisa says
Thank you, Lauren, the upside of all the rain is that it saves me having to water so much, haha x
Ice Cream Clara Blog says
Such a beautiful garden! Oh please teach me haha, we are just starting out with growing things in pots, we have a few bell peppers that have done quite well, but the rest of our garden is just stones at the moment so just trying to figure out how to tackle that haha, we’d love to grow some potatos and things in our garden 😀 xx
elizabeth ♡
Lisa says
Thank you! Ah, I had a window box with a few pots for 15 years so I was really thrown in at the deep end with our garden, haha. I think once you work out where your sunny/shady patches are then you can plant pretty much whatever you want. If your chosen plants do well, great, if not then there are plenty of others to try – gardening should be fun after all 🙂 xx
notesoflifeuk says
It looks like your garden has had a good August! I was given a borage plant a few months back after it spread wildly in someone’s garden. I must admit to calling it “Boris” in order to try and remember its name (I’m hopeless with plant names!).
Lisa says
Somewhat to my surprise, it has indeed – so far anyway! And yes, Borage is a notorious thug, you’ll never need to re-sow again… 🙂
Soph Hearts says
I can’t believe it’s August either- and it’s nearly over, where is it going?! You have so many fruit and vegetables, I really want to start growing my own! I’d never thought about growing edible flowers either so that’s something to think about!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Lisa says
Ah, thank you, Soph – we’re very lucky with our soil and we inherited a few fruit trees too. But keeping on top of the harvest at this time of year is a challenge, haha. And edible flowers make great photo props too 🙂 xx
Via Singh says
Your garden as usual is looking lovely Lisa. It must be even more beautiful in person. Those flowers, fruits and veggies look so beautiful hanging there. Hats off to you my dear. You put it so much of effort to maintain your garden. Flora is doing so well too. 🙂
Via | http://glossnglitters.com
Lisa says
Thank you, Via. I think the lovely warm weather and intermittent rain has had a lot to do with it, but whatever the reason, it’s still hard work, albeit all worth it! 🙂 X
Bexa says
As I expected, your garden looked absolutely beautiful this summer Lisa! Wow, that sunflower plant is huge! Hahah, I love that it wasn’t planned either, your garden has a mind of its own… super impressive tho! Ooh, I often go to the garden centre with my mum so I’ll be sure to keep my eye out for some bargains, great tip!! Oh my, you really have had an explosion of fruits this year, that is fantastic and you have such a wide variety of delicious looking things… good luck with the aubergines too! 😀 Lovely to see Flora’s garden is looking so pretty, and yaass I’m loving the business idea, 10/10 for her entrepreneurial skills! Heheh! Thank you for sharing your gorgeous garden, always one of my favourite posts to read. PS. I hope you are able to treat yourself to a few more G&T’s outside before the colder months arrive! <3 xxxx
Lisa says
Ah, thank you so much, Bexa, that’s so kind of you 🙂 I have to admit, I’m rather surprised the garden looked as good as it did in August, bearing in mind we were away for such a lot of July. We are very lucky with our soil and our ever-patient neighbour who had a lot of watering to do during the heatware, haha. As I type, the rogue sunflowr plant is still going for it, I have bred a veritable triffid! I think outdoor G&Ts are over now, sadly, unless we have an Indian summer – fingers crossed… xxx
Jordanne | Ofaglasgowgirl says
We have Clematis in the garden and they are such a beautiful colour, we also have a climbing rose, well, three of them now actually, one is still flowering bug the rest have came and went. They just look so nice. Flora’s garden is looking amazing! It’s coming on so well 🙂
Jordanne || thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
Lisa says
Roses and clematis are such a classic combination and if you get the right pairings you can have flowers (and scent) for most of the year. Flora’s garden needs weeding (again) but I’m surprised at how productive it’s been this year – bearing in mind how little TLC she gives it, haha! 🙂