Keep your garden looking great this month with our top 15 gardening tips for August.

It&rsquo;s August&nbsp;and it&rsquo;s time to really make the most of your garden. Borders are filled with late summer flowers, and there&rsquo;s plenty to harvest in the vegetable plot! Keep your garden looking great this month with our top 15 gardening tips for August.

<h2>Top 15 Gardening Tips for August</h2>

<ol>
	<li>
	Keep up with deadheading. Roses, daylilies, dahlias, and cosmos will all keep on flowering for longer if regularly deadheaded, and they make beautiful cut flowers!
	</li>
	<li>
	If the weather is dry, water camellias and rhododendrons regularly as they start developing their flower buds for next year&rsquo;s display.
	</li>
	<li>
	Trim faded lavender flowers to keep the plants looking tidy, taking care not to cut too far back into old wood. Check down the stems to see where new leaf buds appear and cut above these.
	</li>
	<li>
	Now&rsquo;s the time to prune rambling roses. Remove one in every three old stems and tie any loose growth into supports. Shorten side shoots by approximately two-thirds.
	</li>
	<li>
	Water container plants regularly in dry weather and feed flowering plants weekly with Powerbloom or All Purpose Fertilizer.&nbsp;&nbsp;
	</li>
	<li>
	Annuals like nigella and poppies will be setting seed now. Collect the seed in paper envelopes for sowing next spring &ndash; and don&rsquo;t forget to label the envelopes!
	</li>
</ol>

<img alt="Collecting seeds from poppies" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/collecting-seeds-from-poppies-1200x500-64b7ea9ec6c88.jpg" title="Collecting seeds from poppies" />

<ol start="8">
	<li>
	Remember your garden wildlife when the weather is hot. Keep bird baths and ponds topped up to give birds and insects somewhere to drink and cool off.
	</li>
	<li>
	Keep picking courgettes and beans to keep the plants producing more. Potatoes, tomatoes, beetroots, onions, and carrots should all also be ready for harvesting this month.
	</li>
	<li>
	Feed container-grown&nbsp; peppers, and tomatoes biweekly with a high-potash liquid feed to boost fruit production
	</li>
	<li>
	Mow the lawn less often if the weather is dry, and raise the blade height on your lawnmower.
	</li>
</ol>

Borders looking tired? Visit our gardemcenter where you&rsquo;ll find a fantastic range of shrubs and perennials to give your garden a late summer boost!

15 Gardening Tips for August

Find out how to prune your hydrangeas with our simple guide.

With their large flowerheads and striking foliage, hydrangeas are an excellent choice for shady borders, offering structure and stunning late summer hues. Proper pruning ensures hydrangeas bloom reliably year after year. Discover how to prune your hydrangeas with our straightforward guide.

<h2>Identifying Your Hydrangea</h2>

Hydrangeas come in diverse types, each with unique pruning needs. Before reaching for your pruning shears, it&#39;s crucial to identify your hydrangea. The simplest way is by their flower type. If uncertain, allow it to grow for a season before pruning.

<img alt="How to prune hydrangeas" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/how-to-prune-hydrangeas-4-1200x500-64ecb1af96c94.jpg" title="How to prune hydrangeas" />

<h2>Hydrangea Types</h2>

Most garden hydrangeas fall into these categories:

<ul>
	<li>Hydrangea macrophylla: Compact, bushy shrubs known as mophead or lacecap hydrangeas, characterized by their flowerheads. Mophead hydrangeas boast round flowerheads with small flowers, typically pink or blue based on soil pH (white varieties remain unchanged). Lacecap hydrangeas feature flat flowerheads with a ring of petals around tiny flowers&#39; center.</li>
	<li>Hydrangea paniculata: A deciduous shrub with elongated, conical flowerheads on arching stems, with some varieties shifting colors as they mature.</li>
	<li>Hydrangea arborescens: A larger shrub displaying immense round flowerheads, often in white. Hydrangea &#39;Annabelle&#39; is a well-known Hydrangea arborescens variety.</li>
	<li>Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf hydrangea): A medium-sized shrub with elongated conical flowerheads and bold lobed leaves turning red in autumn.</li>
	<li>Hydrangea anomala sp. petiolaris (climbing hydrangea): A self-clinging deciduous climber with lacecap flowers and autumnal yellow leaves.</li>
</ul>

<h2>How to Prune Hydrangeas</h2>

<img alt="How to prune hydrangeas" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/how-to-prune-hydrangeas-5-1200x500-64ecb1c83c57e.jpg" title="How to prune hydrangeas" />

<ul>
	<li>Pruning Hydrangea macrophylla: Avoid deadheading mophead hydrangeas in autumn. Let dried flowerheads remain through winter for frost protection. In early spring, prune by cutting back last year&#39;s flowered stems to the first pair of strong buds below the old flowerhead. Trim one or two old stems to the base for new growth and more blooms. Lacecap hydrangeas can be deadheaded after flowering, cutting back to the second pair of leaves beneath the flowerhead. Trim one or two old stems in spring.</li>
	<li>Pruning Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens: Spring pruning involves cutting back last year&#39;s growth to healthy buds lower on the stems. Hard pruning around 25cm above ground yields a compact shrub, while pruning to approximately 60cm height produces a taller plant.</li>
	<li>Pruning Hydrangea quercifolia: Spring pruning eliminates deadwood and trims overlong stems.</li>
	<li>Pruning Hydrangea anomala sp. petiolaris: Post-flowering pruning trims overlong shoots. As most flowers emerge atop the plant, avoid excessive pruning in this area.</li>
</ul>

From flowering shrubs to vibrant perennials, our center offers plants for every garden. Visit us today to infuse your garden with autumnal colors!

How to prune hydrangeas

Here&rsquo;s the lowdown on why pollinators are important and how to help them.

The sight of a flowering plant covered in busily buzzing bees brings joy to any gardener&#39;s heart, and for good reason! Pollinators are essential to the health of our planet, so we need to do all we can to look after them. Here&#39;s the lowdown on why pollinators are important and how to help them.

<h2>Why we need pollinators</h2>

Pollinators are a vital part of our food system. Without them, we wouldn&#39;t have most of the vegetables and fruit that we eat. This includes things like zucchinis, pumpkins, beans, peas, apples, pears, cherries, and strawberries &ndash; the list is almost endless. Many plants can&#39;t produce seeds without being pollinated, so without pollinators, there would soon be nothing to eat!

<h2>What is pollination?</h2>

Before a plant can produce fruit, it needs to be pollinated. This means that pollen has to be transferred from the male part of the flower (the anther) to the female part (the stamen). Some plants, such as sweetcorn, are pollinated by the wind, which blows pollen from anthers to stamens, but most of the plants we eat are pollinated by insects that visit the flowers to collect sweet, energy-rich nectar for food. While getting to the nectar in the heart of the flower, the insects pick up pollen on their bodies, and this gets transferred to the stamens of the next flower they visit, thus pollinating the flower, which can then start to develop into a fruit.

<img alt="Bees pollitating" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/bees-pollitating-1200x500-64c8d755ea867.jpg" title="Bees pollitating" />

Plants to attract pollinators You can do your bit to help pollinators by planting pollinator-friendly flowers. In return, these helpful insects will boost your harvest by pollinating your fruit and vegetables! Single flowers (those with just one layer of petals) with open centers are better for pollinators than very full double flowers with masses of petals, as it&#39;s easier for the pollinators to reach the nectar at their centers. There&#39;s also evidence to suggest that bees are especially attracted to blue flowers, which tend to be rich in nectar. Umbellifers &ndash; plants with flat flowerheads &ndash; are very popular with pollinators, and they also attract other beneficial insects like hoverflies and ladybugs, which help to control aphids.

<img alt="Plants to attract pollinators" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/plants-to-attract-pollinators-1200x500-64c8ad1c1d8d6.jpg" title="Plants to attract pollinators" />

Here are a few of the many pollinator-friendly plants that will bring butterflies and bees to your garden:

<ul>
	<li>
	Dahlia &#39;Bishop of York&#39; &ndash; golden yellow flowers and purple-green leaves.
	</li>
	<li>
	Leucanthemum x superbum &#39;Snowcap&#39; (shasta daisy) &ndash; masses of daisy-like white flowers all summer.
	</li>
	<li>
	Echinacea purpurea &#39;Magnus&#39; (coneflower) &ndash; rich red-pink flowers with striking orange-red centers.
	</li>
	<li>
	Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) &ndash; fragrant purple flower spikes and aromatic grey-green leaves.
	</li>
	<li>
	Geranium &#39;Rozanne&#39; &ndash; abundant blue flowers for months in summer.
	</li>
	<li>
	Coriander &ndash; flattened flowerheads of tiny white flowers, especially popular with honeybees.
	</li>
	<li>
	Ammi majus (Bishop&#39;s flower) &ndash; a gorgeous annual with lacy domes of white flowers on long stems.
	</li>
</ul>

Want to bring more pollinators to your garden? Visit our center, where we have a fantastic range of pollinator-friendly plants to suit every taste!

Why pollinators are so important

We&rsquo;ve put together our top tips on gardening more sustainably, making the best use of our natural resources and avoiding&nbsp;waste.

For many of us, gardening is a way to connect with the natural world, so we want to be sure that when we&rsquo;re gardening, we&rsquo;re not harming that world. To help, we&rsquo;ve put together our top tips on how to garden more sustainably, make the best use of our natural resources, and avoid waste.

<h2>How to save water in the garden</h2>

Water is one of our most precious resources, and it&rsquo;s also vital to the health of our gardens. Here are a few ways to minimize water waste while still giving your plants what they need to grow.

<ul>
	<li>Install a water butt to collect rainwater and use this to water your plants whenever possible. As well as saving our precious water supplies, rainwater is often better for plants than tap water, especially in hard water areas.</li>
	<li>Put away your hosepipe and use a watering can to water your plants. This allows you to get every drop of water to where it needs to be, with minimal waste.</li>
	<li>Fix leaky hoses and dripping taps straight away.</li>
	<li>Water the garden in the morning or evening to reduce water loss through evaporation.</li>
	<li>Place a plant tray under your pots so that the roots can soak in the water from the bottom.</li>
	<li>Mulch your beds with a thick (5cm/2in) layer of garden compost or well-rotted farmyard manure in spring or fall. This improves soil structure and helps lighter soils to retain moisture, meaning you need to water less often.</li>
</ul>

<img alt="Plant tray to save water" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/plant-tray-to-save-water-1200x500-64b7f49dc8c33.jpg" title="Plant tray to save water" />

<h2>Make your own compost</h2>

Making your compost not only benefits your soil, it also helps reduce carbon emissions from transporting garden waste. If you don&rsquo;t have space for a big compost heap, get a green waste bin from your local council and start composting!

<ul>
	<li>Aim for a 50/50 mix of soft green waste (like grass cuttings, stems, and leaves) and brown waste (like shredded woody stems and cardboard).</li>
	<li>Don&rsquo;t compost perennial weeds like bindweed or brambles in a home compost heap or bin, as the temperature doesn&rsquo;t get high enough to kill them off, and you could end up just spreading them back onto your garden!</li>
	<li>Pile up fall leaves separately to make leaf mold, one of the best soil conditioners there is.</li>
</ul>

<img alt="Make your own compost" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/make-your-own-compost-1200x500-64b7f526b7968.jpg" title="Make your own compost" />

<h2>Re-use and recycle plastic</h2>

Disposing of plastic pots and old compost bags has long been a problem for gardeners, but thankfully, solutions are now available!

<ul>
	<li>Many of the larger supermarkets have recycling collection points for plastic bags, so wash out those old bags and find your local collection point.</li>
	<li>Garden centers often offer collection points for old plastic plant pots. Unfortunately, black plastic pots can&rsquo;t yet be recycled, so try to choose colored pots when buying plants.</li>
	<li>Wash out your old plastic pots and use them for potting on seedlings.</li>
	<li>Re-use old compost bags as grow bags for vegetables such as tomatoes or peppers.</li>
</ul>

From peat-free compost to organic vegetable seeds, you&rsquo;ll find everything you need for your garden in our center. Come in and see what&rsquo;s in store!

Gardening with natural resources in mind

Keep your garden looking fabulous this summer with our top 15 gardening tips for June: %link%

Summer’s here and it’s the best time of year to be out in the garden, with flowers blooming, bees buzzing and long days to enjoy it all! Keep your garden looking fabulous this summer with our top 15 gardening tips for June.

Summer’s here and it’s the best time of year to be out in the garden, with flowers blooming, bees buzzing and long days to enjoy it all! Keep your garden looking fabulous this summer with our top 15 gardening tips for June.
<ol>
<li>Fill pots and hanging baskets with summer bedding plants for fantastic colour that will last for months. Trailing geraniums, petunias and lobelia love sunny spots and busy lizzies and begonias are great for shady spots. Feed fortnightly with a high potash feed for maximum flowering.</li>
<li>Harden off and plant runner beans, French beans, squash, courgettes and tomatoes.</li>
<li>Keep on sowing salad greens, beetroot, and carrots to give you a supply all through summer.</li>
<li>Feed tomatoes fortnightly with a high potash feed to encourage fruit development. Container-grown vegetables like dwarf beans and courgettes will also benefit from a fortnightly high potash feed – tomato feed works for them all!</li>
<li>First early potatoes should be ready to harvest this month. Dig up one or two first to check how big they are, and if they’re too small, let them grow for a few more weeks. 
 
<img alt="15 gardening tips for June" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/harvest-potatoes-1200x500-647078f3cf21b.png" style="width: 100%;" title="15 gardening tips for June" /> 
&nbsp;</li>
<li>Harvest garlic and onion once the leaves turn yellow and start to flop over.</li>
<li>Net strawberries as they start to ripen so that the birds don’t get to them before you can enjoy them.</li>
<li>Weeds grow fast in summer, so keep them under control. On dry days, run a Dutch hoe over the soil to cut down annual weeds like spurge, chickweed, and hairy bittercress, and leave the weeds on the soil to wither.</li>
<li>Deadhead repeat-flowering roses and pick sweet peas regularly so that they will keep on flowering all summer.</li>
<li>Once hardy geraniums have finished flowering, cut them back to promote a flush of new foliage and flowers.</li>
<li>Give wisteria its summer prune by cutting back all this year’s long whippy shoots to around 20cm long.</li>
<li>Mow the lawn regularly, but in long spells of dry weather, mow less often and on a higher blade setting to reduce stress on the grass. If you have space, leave an area of lawn uncut to provide a home for insects and other garden wildlife. 
 
<img alt="15 gardening tips for June" src="https://staging.tuincentrumvoorbeeld.nl/files/files/mowing-lawn-june-1200x500-64707992e1748.png" style="width: 100%;" title="15 gardening tips for June" /> 
&nbsp;</li>
<li>Prune summer-flowering shrubs like Philadelphus (mock orange), Weigela, and Forsythia once they’ve finished flowering. Cut back the flowered shoots to strong buds lower down and removing one in every 3-4 old stems to encourage new growth.</li>
<li>Trim evergreen hedges to keep them neat, but always check first to make sure you aren’t disturbing any nesting birds.</li>
<li>Water in the early mornings or evenings to reduce water loss through evaporation, and install waterbutts to conserve rainwater for use on the garden.</li>
</ol>
Whether you’re planting, weeding or simply relaxing in a deck chair, you’ll find everything you need in our centre, so pay us a visit soon!

Top 15 gardening tips for June

Keep your garden looking fabulous this summer with our top 15 gardening tips for June: %linkfortwitter%

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