Most British gardens are usually at their best in the spring and early summer with the lovely colours of bulbs and the freshness of new leaves on the shrubs. By the time it gets to August many gardens have lost their way. If this describes your garden you can do something about it by popping in some annuals from the garden centre. They are full of delicious looking pots of Cosmos, Zinnias and others which will brighten up a tired border.
Think about planting some of the later flowering perennials such as Echinacea purpurea (the mauve cone-flower), Rudbeckia (a lovely yellow daisy), and Asters (the good old Michaelmas daisies), which will flower well into autumn and come in colours that look stunning in the early evening light, and early mornings covered in dew. Last year was a particularly good year for autumn colour and the Michaelmas daisies in my garden flowered on and on until November!

Peg down the runners of strawberries to create new plants either in the ground or into small pots of potting compost such as John Innes No.1. Peg them down using u-shaped bits of wire – wire coat hangers cut up work well. Keep them watered and, when they have rooted, cut the stem holding them to the parent plant and replant in a newly prepared strawberry bed.

Teenagers can be persuaded to water for pocket money
Put any pots of plants into a shady spot if you are away for a few days and stand in something like a paddling pool with an inch or so of water in it to keep them going. Teenage children can be persuaded to water for pocket money, but to be honest results are mixed!

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.

Now is the time 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.