To start with, I received a well-deserved rap on the knuckles from the people who run the Annecy Gardens (mentioned in last month’s garden tips). The lovely gardens are run by a group of hard-working volunteers under the auspices of ‘Transition Town Cheltenham’, not by Cheltenham Parks department, although the council has been very helpful to the group. Look at their blog, which gives weekly seasonal information – http://annecygardenscheltenham.blogspot.co.uk/.

Now back to the garden in August! It is the time to cut-back summer-fruiting raspberry canes such as ‘Glen Ample’ or ‘Malling Admiral’ as their harvest should be over. Cut them down flush with the soil to stop pests and diseases taking over and to promote new canes to grow.

Put any pots of plants into a shady spot if you are away for a few days and stand in a paddling pool with an inch of water or so if you have one to keep them going.

Stop pests and diseases taking over
Keep your tomatoes and peppers consistently moist throughout the growing season or the roots won’t absorb nutrients properly and can get blossom end rot (light brown spots appear at the flower end of the fruit). Only apply a liquid fertiliser when the soil is moist.

You should be starting to prune established fruit cordons, espaliers and fans to help restrict growth, maintain the shape of the tree and promote next year’s fruiting spurs. With clean, sharp secateurs shorten new shoots growing from the trunk or main stems to three leaves. Prune side-shoots growing from established lateral branches to one leaf. Ordinary fruit trees are pruned in the dormant season.

August is the time to tidy up climbing and rambling roses after they have flowered. If they are grown over arches or pergolas they can be a real hazard if their shoots are too long and whipping around in the wind. The shoots should be pliable when they are young and are best trained around supports in a spiral fashion which encourages the most flowers. The main pruning will be done in February but this is just to keep them under control.

The climbing beans you have planted need regular picking now so as not to stop producing. If you are going away, entreat a neighbour or friend to come in and help themselves (and then they can water them as well!) Pick any courgettes before you go, even if they are way too small because they will be the size of marrows when you get back!