Planting New Perennials

This is a good time of year to start planting new perennials. The soil will be moist and still warm enough for roots to establish before the cold of winter. Our garden centre has a wide variety of flowering and foliage herbaceous perennials to choose from.
Planting Step by Step
1.Dig a hole for the new plant and add bone meal to the bottom of the hole for root growth.
2.Soak the plants about an hour or so before you want to plant it.
3.Take the plant out of the pot, it may have become quite tight in there so you may need to tease it out.
4.Put the plant into the hole and fill the gap around it with soil and then firm the soil with your fingers.
5.Water the plant thoroghly again (half a watering can if the weather has been dry)
6.You may also put mulch, chipped bark or leaf mould around the plant to reduce evaporation from the soil.

Septembers Gardening Tips

- Start clearing up Autumn debris to prevent pests and disease over winter
- Aerate established lawns
- Net ponds to keep out autumn leaves
- Start feeding new trees, shrubs and containers
- Start to plant new perennials
- Give support to tall, late-flowering perennials
- Plant spring flowering bulbs
- Plant up containers with autumn bedding plants
- Plant spring cabbages
- Sow winter lettuce
- Continue to harvest apples, pears and autumn fruiting raspberries.

Osteospermum

Osteospermum are a popular perennial and look good in rustic or modern gardens. They love the sun and are evergreen. They flower from late spring to autumn and bear mauve-pink or magenta daisy looking flower heads. They have a dense mat of leaves which make good ground coverage. They grow to around 4-20 inches high and 20-36 inches wide. Grow in a sunny position in any well drained soil. Deadhead regularly to encourage new flowers and prolong flowering. If it is a particularly cold and wet winter they may not survive, to keep your cost down you can take cuttings from them at the end of summer and keep in a glass house or conservatory.

Around the Garden in August

There are many things that can be done around the garden in August. You should be aware of pests and diseases as the warm dry weather can encourage diseases such as mildew. Make sure plants are watered frequently especially if the weather is hot and dry. To try and keep slug damage to plants and flowers to a minimum, deter them by scattering slug pellets. Continue to weed the borders to keep them tidy and weed free. Continue mowing your lawns regularly applying a lawn feed that is phosphate based. Rambling Roses can now be pruned and deadheads can be removed from Roses.

Whitehalls Plant of the Month- Hydrangea

The Hydrangea is a fast growing deciduous shrub. It produces large flower heads during the summer and early autumn. It has dark green foliage. They are hardy plants and can also be cut to be used in a floral arrangment. They can be planted in pots or in containers and are a great way to add colour to your summer garden. They grow to about 3-7m in height and 2.5 in width. They need to be grown in fertile, moisture retentive soil. The plant requires minimal pruning, however all sideshoots must be cut back in late winter.

Gardening Tips for August

-Make sure wild birds and other wildlife have access to fresh water, as in the hot weather fresh water can be hard to find. Also keep ponds topped up.
-If the weather is hot and dry you can mow your lawn less frequently.
-Prune rambling roses after they have flowered.
-Trim Lavender after their flowers have faded.
-Water plant regularly in hot weather.
-Take cuttings from perennials such as Fuchsias and Pelagoniums.
-In your vegetable garden you can lift and dry Onions, cut and dry herbs for use in winter and Plant new strawberry plants.

Pick and Prune Raspberries

Summer fruiting Raspberries should be ready to harvest around now. If you have plenty of Raspberries they are suitable to freeze or to cook gently and make a puree .Old canes will be easily identifiable as they will be a darker brown and the remains of fruit clusters and leaves will most likely look a bit tatty. Younger canes will still have fresh summer foliage on and the stems will be green. You can start by untying the old canes from their wire supports and cut them to ground level. You can them tie in new canes, with spacing of around 10cm apart. Make sure you only tie in strong and healthy canes. The old canes which have been pruned out can be shredded and used as mulch.