August is the height of summer, and while the garden may be bursting with colour, it can also start to look a little unruly. With heatwaves, dry spells, and bursts of heavy rain, now’s the time to stay on top of watering, trimming and tidying.
From keeping flowers blooming and harvesting homegrown crops to preparing your garden for the months ahead, there are plenty of jobs to enjoy this month.
Here are our essential gardening jobs for August.
Trim hedges and topiary
August is a great time to neaten up hedges, especially formal evergreens such as box, yew, and privet. Giving hedges a trim now helps maintain their shape and keeps growth looking tidy through to autumn.
Before trimming, always check carefully for nesting birds and avoid disturbing any active nests.
For a precise finish, use Kent & Stowe SureCut Hedge Shears for clean, effortless cutting.
Deadhead flowers to encourage more blooms
Keep your summer borders looking their best by regularly removing faded flowers. Deadheading encourages many plants to put their energy into producing new buds rather than seeds, helping you enjoy more colour throughout late summer.
Plants that benefit from deadheading include:
- Roses
- Dahlias
- Sweet peas
- Geraniums
- Rudbeckias
- Cosmos
Use Eversharp Snips or Secateurs for quick, clean cuts when removing spent flowers and tidying plants.
Harvest fruit and vegetables
August is one of the most rewarding months for gardeners, with many crops ready to pick. Regular harvesting encourages plants to continue producing and helps prevent fruit and vegetables from becoming overripe.
Look out for:
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Courgettes
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Apples
- Plums
- Blackberries
When harvesting potatoes, use a garden fork to gently lift crops from the soil while avoiding damage to the tubers.
A Fruit Picker is an essential tool for harvesting ripe fruit from trees, ensuring they remain in perfect condition without falling and bruising. Designed with a cushioned foam liner, this picker prevents damage to the fruit, keeping it fresh and ready for consumption.
Keep watering wisely
Summer weather can quickly dry out plants, especially containers, hanging baskets, and newly planted shrubs. Water deeply and less frequently where possible, encouraging roots to grow downwards and become more resilient.
The best time to water is early morning or evening when less moisture is lost through evaporation.
Our Outdoor Watering Cans offer gentle coverage that won’t damage delicate plants. Combining practicality with timeless style, they’re designed to look just as beautiful in your garden as the plants they help you grow.
Give your lawn some summer lawn care
Your lawn may need a little extra attention during warm, dry weather. Raise your mower height slightly during hot spells to help shade the soil and reduce moisture loss.
Continue to:
- Remove weeds where needed
- Keep mowing regularly
- Feed lawns if growth is still active
- Water during prolonged dry periods
A healthy lawn now will recover more quickly when cooler, wetter weather arrives.
To keep your lawn looking neat and tidy, make sure the edges are trimmed with out edging shears or an edging iron. It really will make all the difference.
Tidy perennials and borders
Cut back faded or flopping perennials like geraniums and delphiniums. This keeps borders looking fresh and can even trigger a second flush of flowers.
Use SureCut Perennial Snips for fast and fine cutting. Designed for efficient single handed use, these snips feature rubber micro hex handles, providing extra comfort and grip for prolonged cutting sessions.
Stay on top of weeding
Warm weather helps weeds thrive, so stay vigilant. Hoe or hand weed regularly to prevent them from setting seed.
In beds and borders, a Dutch hoe is ideal for slicing through the top layer of soil, cutting weeds off just below the surface with a push-pull action.
Read our guide on how to achieve a weed free garden this summer.
Plan for autumn
It may still feel like summer, but now’s the time to start sowing autumn crops like spinach, chard, and winter lettuce. You can also start thinking about spring bulbs.
Shop our range of bulb planters.
Other tips
- Keep an eye out for pests like aphids, caterpillars, and slugs.
- Ventilate greenhouses and conservatories during hot spells.
- Keep birdbaths topped up with fresh water in dry weather.
August may be hot and hectic, but a little maintenance now will keep your garden thriving into autumn. With the right tools and a few simple tasks, you’ll enjoy the rewards well into the next season.
