At last, we have some real summer weather, but after only two days of it, of course we’re complaining!
Most gardeners, myself included, just want to relax in our outdoor space, soak up the sun (remember your SPF50) or seek out some shade, read a book or just doze off. This should indeed be the time to enjoy the fruits of one’s labours.
Nonetheless, regular watering and feeding of the plants in your garden is important throughout the growing season. The long, warm days get them growing even more, so they need all the help we can give them. Shrubs that have already flowered, such as philadelphus (mock orange), can be pruned for next year’s flowering, while herbaceous perennials that are “over”, like many hardy geraniums, can be cut almost to the ground – they’ll soon put out fresh leaves and may even flower again.
In August the siren voices of the horticultural trade will be tempting you with bulbs for next spring. I would wait a bit: September is quite early enough for daffodils, while tulips should really wait till at least October (they actually prefer to be planted in colder conditions). Nurseries are already dumping their overstocks, so this can also be a good time to take advantage of that and secure a bargain (or several). Autumn-flowering plants are already on sale, including rudbeckias (mine have been out for a week), Michaelmas daisies, perennial sunflowers, liriope, and late-season clematis.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on your seasonal planting: regular dead-heading of pelargoniums, begonias, and petunias is essential, or they can get very straggly and may even begin to “shut down” early. Likewise hanging baskets, which can get very out-of-control and tatty if not looked after carefully: in this weather water all such baskets every day, especially those in sunny positions. Trailing lobelia and such-like can also be trimmed to keep them smart: they’ll soon make new growth.
Is this peak vegetable time? In spite of a pretty miserable start to the year, everything on that front does seem to have caught up at last. The RHS is full of its usual good advice (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/in-month/august), and I note particularly their warning that during dry spells such as we are in now, it very important to keep watering root vegetables (to avoid roots splitting), tomatoes (to prevent blossom rot) and runner beans (to stop their flowers from aborting).
So, everyone enjoy your garden, but remember to water, water, water – at least we haven’t had a hose-pipe ban … yet!