Sowing and Planting Options for Vibrant Vegetables and Blooms Throughout the Remainder of the Year in August
August is a crucial month for gardeners, as it's the time to prepare for the upcoming seasons while enjoying the bounty of summer. Here are some tips and advice for your flower and kitchen garden this August, based on expert recommendations from Benjamin Pope, head gardener, and Aaron Bertelsen, gardener chef.
Firstly, August is the perfect time to sow biennials like foxgloves and verbascums. These plants will bloom the following year, adding a touch of elegance to your garden. For those seeking fresh greens for their salads, good cultivars include lettuces 'Winter Density' and 'Winter Gem', mustard 'Red Frills', rocket, and lamb's lettuce 'Favor'.
Carrots are another vegetable worth sowing in August to avoid damage from carrot fly. To provide extra protection, consider adding a layer of fleece or fine, insect-proof mesh. Oriental brassicas and perpetual spinach are other plants that will enjoy the months to come. With a little protection, these plants will crop through autumn, winter, and into early spring.
August is also the ideal time to lift and divide bearded iris and order bareroot stock of new cultivars. Spring cabbage can be planted out in August, once other crops have gone over and left space in the garden. It's crucial to keep spring cabbage on a six-year rotation to avoid club root.
Sow carrots directly into an area of the garden that has not had much muck or compost, or into a tall pot for added protection against carrot flies. Autumn and winter salads and leaves can be sown in August for a substantial size before the days become short. Chinese cabbage, pak choi, mibuna, and mizuna can benefit from a slightly shady spot if temperatures remain hot.
Netting can be left in place all winter for continued protection against pigeons. Spring cabbage will grow steadily right through the winter and put on a spurt as temperatures rise in early spring. Beetroot can also be sown in August for hardy earthy leaves that make great additions to salads. Cover spring cabbage seedlings with netting to see off cabbage whites and pigeons.
As for flowers, suggestions for the best in August include cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias. These vibrant blooms will add a splash of colour to your garden throughout the late summer and early autumn.
Lastly, if you're looking for gardens to visit or gardening jobs for the month, further research is recommended. Benjamin Pope and Aaron Bertelsen are known for their expertise in gardening topics, but specific recommendations for August flowers, gardens, or jobs from them are not readily available. However, August is a busy month in the garden, so take the time to enjoy the process and reap the rewards of your hard work!
- In August, consider sowing biennials like foxgloves and verbascums for a beautiful display in your garden next year.
- For your kitchen garden, August is an excellent time to sow carrots to protect them from carrot fly and oriental brassicas for continuous cropping through autumn, winter, and early spring.
- To brighten your flower garden in late summer and early autumn, plant cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias for a vibrant splash of color.
