August

Trim Lavender 

Lavender should be pruned every year to avoid it becoming woody. Do this between midsummer to the end of August as the flowers start to fade. Cut it back hard to a neat shape, but make sure to leave some shoots on each stem as lavender will not grow from bare wood.  

Make new Strawberry plants

Strawberry plants normally have four good years till their yield reduce and need to be replace. A cost-effective way to do this is to let the plantlets they produce on their runners touch the soil. Once this has happened, they will quickly put down roots and establish. At the end of August, the newly rooted plantlets can be planted out into a new bed or pot with plenty of compost.

Sow Autumn Salad Crops 

Sow hardy crops such as Land Cress, Rocket and Corn Salad, which can be harvested in October and November. They can be sown directly into the bed in rows, keep them well-watered and weeded. 

Watering Camellias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons

Camellias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons develop their buds in late summer, this means that the display they will give in the following spring, is created over the next few weeks. Ensuring they are kept watered is essential, if they become dehydrated the bud will drop off before they flower.