Noah Mabey, senior gardener at Thornbridge Hall and horticultural adviser, has shared simple August gardening tips to help wildlife such as birds, bees, and butterflies survive heatwaves and keep gardens thriving into autumn.
Simple Water Dish Helps Wildlife
During hot weather, creatures including birds, bees, and butterflies often struggle to find fresh water. Mabey suggests placing a shallow dish filled with clean water in the garden, adding pieces of tufa stone, gravel, or marbles so insects have a safe place to land while drinking. Birds will also appreciate a larger bowl of clean water nearby.
Collect Seeds for Next Year
August is the ideal month to gather seeds from favourite flowers such as poppies, sweet peas, foxgloves, and Nigella Damascena, as their seed heads typically dry out during this period. Once dried, collect and store them in a cool, dry place until sowing time. Poppies can even be scattered directly into borders to establish naturally for next season.
Sow Crops for Late-Season Harvests
Although the growing season is slowing, August is an excellent month for sowing crops and flowers that provide colour and harvests beyond summer. Salad leaves like lettuce, rocket, and spinach can still be sown for late-season picking, while spring cabbage, spring onions, and hardy herbs establish well. August is also the perfect time to sow biennials such as foxgloves, wallflowers, and sweet williams, allowing them to bed in before flowering next spring.
