Anna's August Garden Journal
August is an exciting month in which we start to see the garden wake up from its winter slumber and get ready for spring. The afternoon sun is making life a little warmer and the days a little longer, while the birds are chatting away. All are signs that spring could be on the way. My snowdrops are out and looking so beautiful, a classic sign to me that spring will be here soon.
I have been grabbing the odd sunny afternoon hour to get on the tools. I have chopped some of my old crops to ground level and the foliage has gone into the compost. I cut back some hardy shrubs that didn't get trimmed in autumn and started to weed a few sections of the garden. It's exciting to see what is popping up. My garlic is through and my spinach, which has been dormant, has some fresh growth.
This month, the key areas I suggest we focus on are:
- Have a good ole cleanup. Keep feeding the compost.
- Weed a little area at a time, then spread compost and mulch.
- Decide what you would like to grow and order your seeds.
Have a good ole cleanup.
August is the perfect time to remove the old redundant crops and clean up after winter. Add the foliage collected from the clean-up into your homemade compost. Cut up any of the big stuff to aid it breaking down faster. If you have a glasshouse or a sheltered area, now is the perfect time to wash and clean it up. Tidy up the entire glasshouse in addition to the beds. In preparation for the growing season ahead, I like to create a clean canvas, tidying the shelves ready for the cleaned seed trays and other areas, such as where my pots of seedlings will sit. I wash the outside and inside of the glasshouse with warm, soapy water, hoping any of the not-so-good bugs are gone.
Start to weed a little and often.
Pick a weedy spot, even if you only have 10 minutes. It's an excellent way to keep on top of the weeds rearing their heads and fighting for precious garden space. Once you have weeded an area, spread some of your homemade compost over the top and cover it with whatever mulch you use or have at home.
We will cover mulch in more detail over the coming weeks, so stay tuned if mulch is new to you.
Decide what you would like to grow.
It is time to start the growing party, so deciding what to grow is key this month. If you are unsure, think about what your household likes to eat, and then we can work backwards. Start small if you are new to gardening. Here are a few ideas to get you growing:
- Choose a herb that you love to cook with.
- What about a staple green you use in smoothies or salads?
- Is there a flower you have always wanted to grow? Maybe research if it's a bee-attracting one that would be gorgeous and helpful in your edible garden.
- You might like to offer to grow the new potatoes for Christmas or another special summer occasion this year.
If you have not seen it yet, there is a feature about my work in the NZ Lifestyle Block’s July/August edition, along with a few more handy gardening tips. Once you have finished in the garden, it's a great magazine for a lazy, winter afternoon read.
Anna xx
