WHITESTONE GARDENING CLUB - August 2025

August is a glorious month in the garden—full of colour, buzzing pollinators, ripening fruit, and long, warm evenings to enjoy your hard work. But while it might seem like a time to sit back and relax, there are still plenty of tasks to keep your garden looking its best through late summer and into autumn.

Here are some timely tips tailored for gardens here in Whitestone:

Flower Garden

Deadhead Regularly: Keep bedding plants and perennials like cosmos, dahlias, and roses flowering by removing faded blooms.

Support Tall Plants: Late-flowering perennials such as asters and heleniums may need staking to protect them from wind or heavy rain.

Divide Bearded Irises: If your irises havebecome crowded, lift and divide them now so they establish before winter.

Sow Biennials: Foxgloves, wallflowers, and sweet williams can be sown now for strong flowering next spring.

Fruit & Veg Plot

Harvest Frequently: Pick beans, courgettes, cucumbers, and tomatoes regularly to encourage more growth.

Feed Hungry Crops: Tomatoes and courgettes benefit from a weekly potash-rich liquid feed.

Keep Watering: Especially in dry spells, water crops deeply and early in the day or evening to reduce evaporation.

Net Autumn Fruit: Use mesh to protect ripening plums, apples, and pears from birds.

Plant Winter Brassicas: Kale, cabbage, and purple sprouting broccoli can still go in the ground.

General Maintenance

Lawn Care: Mow regularly, but raise the blade slightly in dry weather. Consider sowing new grass in bare patches later in the month.

Weed Control: Don’t let annual weeds go to seed—pull them out while still young.

Hedge Trimming: Give privet, laurel, and box hedges a final tidy-up before growth slows in autumn.

Composting: Turn compost heaps and add grass clippings and veg waste to keep the pile active and healthy.

Wildlife Friendly Tips

Top Up Bird Baths: Keep them clean and topped up, especially during hot spells.

Avoid Over-Tidying: Leave seed heads and some faded flowers to provide food and shelter for insects and birds.

Plant Late-Summer Nectar Sources: Sedum, echinacea, and verbena bonariensis are all great for bees and butterflies.

Local Tip: Prepare for Autumn

August is a transition month—start thinking about bulbs for spring (order now!) and plan space for overwintering crops or new shrubs. If you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse, it’s also a great time to clean it out ahead of autumn sowing.

Wishing all Whitestone gardeners a productive and peaceful August. May your borders bloom and your courgettes never bolt!

(Generated for WGC using ChatGPT by Artie Fishal)