August is one of the best months for gardeners, with plants in full bloom and plenty of tasks to prepare for the coming year. One simple job, taking semi-ripe cuttings, can ensure your garden remains vibrant next August.
Take Semi-Ripe Cuttings
Noah Mabey, senior gardener at Thornbridge Hall and horticultural advisor to Platinum Spas Hot Tubs, recommends taking semi-ripe cuttings this month. He said: "August is also one of the best months to take semi-ripe cuttings, making it easy to grow new plants for free."
Plants like lavender, rosemary, salvias, penstemons, and hydrangeas root well from these cuttings. Select healthy, non-flowering shoots, remove the lower leaves, and place them into gritty compost. With patience, you'll have strong young plants for next year.
Deadhead for Continuous Blooms
Deadheading is also crucial in August. Many plants start producing seeds, but removing spent flowers encourages them to keep blooming. Noah explained: "By removing spent flowers, you're encouraging plants to keep flowering instead of producing seed, helping borders, pots and hanging baskets stay colourful for much longer."
Prune Lavender and Other Perennials
Lavender benefits from cutting back after flowering. Noah advises: "Always cut back this year's soft growth, but avoid cutting into the older woody stems as lavender doesn't recover well from hard pruning." Dried lavender bunches can be hung in the greenhouse or kitchen for fragrance.
Perennials like hardy geraniums and nepeta also enjoy a tidy-up. Trim them to fresh growth at the base, and many will produce new foliage and flowers later in the season.
Secure Roses
Finally, tie in rose stems to protect them from high winds. Noah said: "I only tie them loosely at this stage before training them properly during winter." Continue deadheading repeat-flowering roses, but leave some flowers on rambling varieties to produce hips for autumn and winter interest.
