We have had a busy month this August weeding beds, pruning, deadheading and tidying lawns to generally make your gardens look great and feel good to spend time in. We’re so grateful for the positive feedback you send to us on our work, it means so much to us! Here are a couple from this August:

‘We've had a big crop of plums this year on the tree that you pruned, when I’ve never seen a plum on it before. It must have been desperate for a trim!’

‘Garden looks lovely, happy with the progress you have made this week’

We are thrilled to see the result of our planting job which we planted in Spring coming into its own this summer. The brief was a planting scheme along a contemporary new patio in purples and whites that tie in the history and feel of this countryside location. We think the result looks really beautiful and inviting.

What we will be working on this September

Weeding

Weeds can be quite established this month and begin spreading seeds so the work of removing them continues.

Divide and Replant Perennials

Dividing congested clumps of perennials, especially those that are becoming bare in the centre, such as Hostas, Asters, and Hylotelephium. Replanting these divisions helps rejuvenate the plants and creates more coverage the garden.

Move Tender Plants Indoors

Bring tender plants indoors or into the greenhouse to protect them from cooler temperatures. This step ensures they survive the winter and are ready to thrive again next year.

Continuing to deadhead Roses

Continue deadheading roses to extend their blooming period. Removing spent flowers encourages the plants to produce more blooms, keeping your garden colorful well into the autumn.

Cutting back perennials / or leaving them for winter interest

There is a movement for the structural and architectural plants such as Phlomis, Echniops, Sedums, Grasses and Asters that can hold themselves upright to be kept over winter. These plants can provide visual interest as well as food for the birds and other wildlife. When left over winter they can then be cut back in early spring instead of Autumn when the new growth is appearing.

When they can hold themselves upright, they can work to create layers of wintry interest.

Plants that provide interest to the borders over winter:

Echniops, Phlomis, Eryngium, Astilbe, Poppy seed heads, Echinacea, Eutrochium (previosuly Eurochium), Cephalaria, Salvia Blue Spire, some grasses, including: Calamagrostis x acutiflora, calamagrostis brachytricha and many more

If you would like planting of perennials such as above to be kept over winter do let us know and we can order and plant these for you, see the images for how the winter garden can look.