August – the month of watering and trimming

We’re hoping the hot summer weather is going to make a comeback before the end of the month, but rain or shine, we’ve always got plenty to do here to keep the Gardens in tip-top condition.

As we’ve had plenty of rain and warm weather we’ve lots of weeding to do – have you noticed the weeds popping up in your borders every day? This is a big job when you have 15 acres to look after and we’re forever grateful to our fantastic team of volunteers who do such a great job in helping the gardening team.

It can be a back-breaking job at times, but it’s so important to keep on top of the weeds so they don’t take over the borders!

Our volunteers have also been busy repotting our National Collection of Cyclamen and our new Nerine collection in the nursery, while the species are dormant. They’ll be going on display in the autumn, so make sure you look out for them as they’ll be looking resplendent.

August is also hedge-cutting month. Like us, you’ve probably been waiting patiently to be able to give the hedges a trim and now that the birds have finished nesting, it’s the ideal time to do it. Cutting hedges in August means they only need to be done once a year and they look nice and crisp for the winter months. Neat hedges also provide some much-needed structure to the garden.

During hot weather, all of the glasshouses have to be watered every day – that’s the four display glasshouses, the nursery, the Butterfly House, Alpine Houses in the Alan King Alpine Garden, and the ones in the Urban and Growing for Schools Garden. If that’s not enough, the National Bonsai Collection needs to be watered daily, too.

Check your pots and containers, even if it has rained, as they may need a good drink. This is because the canopy of foliage can prevent the water from reaching the compost and the roots. It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s a necessary task.

If your borders have long grasses with flowering plants, follow our lead and strim them during late August to early September, once they have dropped their seeds.

Are you planning to visit us this month? You’ll see the herbaceous border, the grass garden and our bedding displays are all looking great at the moment – there’s always something to enjoy.

The gardening team love seeing social media posts of visitors’ trips to the Gardens

If you spot something you love, have a question about a specific plant or just want to highlight your trip, please tag us or post to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. We hope to see you all soon.