August Gardening Reminders

Here’s a quick-tip list for thing to keep up with this month, to keep your gardens flourishing and your creativity flowing!

• Keep Container plants watered – remember that other than occasional August rains, you are their only resource for moisture.
•  Fertilize those container plants this month, too!  The necessary frequent watering can wash out the nutrients in the contained soil, so add a 20-20-20 Water Soluble Fertilizer!
•  Trim your lavender and prune your climbing roses this month.
•  Pull weeds as soon as you notice them, before they go to seed. Doing this right after a good rain makes the chore easier and more effective since you can get more roots!
•  Deadhead annuals, perennials and roses to help new blooms keep coming.
• When working outside, be sure YOU stay hydrated, too!  Work in early morning or early evening to avoid the worst of the heat and don’t forget your sun screen!
• Prune/remove dead limbs and branches on shrubs and smaller trees.
• Start a kitchen herb garden indoors to take your cooking to the next level! We have hundreds of inexpensive herb plants and to save even more money, start them from seed!
• Watch for August pests like aphids, white flies, spider mites, and more, especially on conifers (needled evergreens) like hemlock and juniper.  We’re here to help you identify and get rid of them!
• While many bloomers are at their peak, take a stroll around the yard and get some cuttings of colorful and/or unusually-shaped flowers and stalks for drying.  Bundle them together and hang upside down to dry out.