Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Garden Answers

Patio project CLIMB THE STYLE LADDER Vertical planters are a good way of adding greenery around fences and sheds. Give some wooden ones a couple of coats of coloured woodstain and they can blend into their surroundings or add a bold pop of colour. These sage green raised planters are simple but stylish with plants that perfectly complement the colour scheme of the surroundings. Subtle bedding plants, such as the soft pink scaevola and the trailing pelargoniums, add just the right amount of pink. Silvery artemisia is the perfect background blender while loose-leaved lettuces are a fun way of adding some zingy colour and they should be out of the way of slugs, too!…

August sees a shift in the garden as the days begin to shorten. Plants that were at their peak in midsummer are fading and late season bloomers are now stepping into the limelight to carry on the colour and interest well into autumn. Fuchsias are one of those plants that dazzle at this time of year, but they have found it hard to shake off their old-fashioned reputation as bedding plants, with their blousy double flowers in clashing colours bred for hanging basket displays. Delve a bit deeper, however, and you’ll find that fuchsias are a worthy addition to any garden. “Fuchsias have found it hard to shake off their old-fashioned reputation as bedding plants It’s hard to beat fuchsias for their sheer flower power, with some blooming from June…

GIVE DAHLIAS SOME TLC Gorgeous dahlias are reaching their summer peak, but they have plenty more flower power to offer, even into autumn with the right care. Regular picking and deadheading is key – the more you pick, the more buds come to take their place. • Check that their support stakes are tall and strong enough to hold the weight of heavy blooms. You can insert a taller, more substantial stake next to the existing support and carefully tie in stems with soft twine. • Watch out for earwigs! Upturn a pot filled with straw and suspend on a cane next to your dahlias. Empty the traps each day on to your bird table. • Finally, spread a cooling mulch of leaf mould or compost around your plants. Keep…

Come August, hot borders really turn up the garden tempo. For an eye-stopping, heart-quickening, smile-inducing colour spectrum, fiery plants have it hands down. The flickering flames of crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, bold orange dahlia 'David Howard' and inky-leaved ‘Moonfire' provide the fireworks here at Bourton House Garden in Gloucestershire, supported by the flamboyant stripy foliage and orange torch-like blooms of magnificent canna ‘Durban’. Then to embellish the solid foundation of these firecracker plants, add dramatic clumps of classic hot border perennials such as kniphofias, potentilla or heleniums together with ephemeral firecracker annuals such as zinnias, helianthus, amaranthus, celosia, poppies, eschscholzia and ricinus. GET STARTED WITH A PLANTING PLAN …or try this BULK UP THE DISPLAY Tender and hardy plants can be planted around and within your display to extend the impact of…

I always think of August as a month where I start ‘saving summer’. I start to collect seeds, take cuttings, and pick flowers such as statice and strawflowers (those are great for making wreaths as they retain their colour). The pound jars make their appearance on the kitchen worktop, ready to store my jams, chutneys and sauces. By the end of the month I am frantically picking the ripe tomatoes and slow roasting them in batches, together with onions, garlic, basil and parsley. I’ve set myself a goal to never buy passata or tomato sauces in winter and I hope I’ll be able to achieve it! There is nothing better than making dinner in winter and reaching into your stash of sauces. Trust me, you will feel very smug. I…

If you’re of a certain age – or a certain cinematic disposition – there is a high likelihood that you’ll have seen the film Jaws. Steven Spielberg’s horror classic is regularly listed among the scariest movies ever made and is, unquestionably, the reason many people to this day restrict themselves to the shallows on any seaside sojourn. But it wasn’t always destined to be thus. Spielberg’s original screenplay was conceived as a shark-tastic romp. A mechanical model – nicknamed Bruce – was constructed and slated to appear throughout, up close and personal. Only, when it came time to film, Bruce proved himself not much of a swimmer. He kept sinking. It was a disaster. Spielberg had to rewrite the entire script on the spot, massively curtailing Bruce’s on-camera appearances. In…

“Sowing winter-hardy salad leaves for autumn/winter crops.” Louise Curley shares the summer glory of fuchsias, p14 “Taking lavender cuttings from non-flowering sideshoots.” Sue Fisher recommends red-hot pokers, p30 “I’ll be thinning waterseed from my ponds, bit by bit.” Adrian Thomas has wildlife ideas for small spaces, p44 “This month, I’m going to be very busy preserving as much as possible!” Olga Grieves on her lovely plot, p68 “I’ll be feeding the pumpkin plant and pinching out sprawling shoots.” Greg Loades on chard in pots, p72 “Taking cuttings from perennial bedding plants, such as verbenas.” Geoff Hodge rounds up new push mowers, p86…

Town & Country is giving two lucky winners the chance to transform their garden with a Walk In Greenhouse, worth £64.99 each. Perfect for enthusiastic gardeners, this spacious and practical greenhouse is designed to protect your plants from the elements while encouraging healthy growth. With its walk-in design, roll-up front panel and sturdy frame, it offers easy access and plenty of room for taller plants and expanding collections. The domed roof helps deflect wind and rain, while still allowing ample sunlight to reach your plants – making it ideal for nurturing seedlings or growing vegetables year-round. Assembly is quick and simple, with no specialised tools required. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, this greenhouse is a brilliant addition to any garden. Enter now for your chance to…

Spiller plants are invaluable if you want to create a relaxed, informal style of planting. These are low to mid-height plants that have a naturally relaxed habit and form loose mounds of foliage and flowers that will tumble over the front of borders, softening the edges and blurring the lines between the planting and the hard landscaping. For these reasons they’re fantastic for giving a garden an established feel. They are integral plants when creating a cottage garden, with frothy, exuberant growth that spills out onto paths and mingles with other plants, knitting a border together and hiding bare patches of soil underneath trees and shrubs. Use them around the base of taller plants and climbers to disguise the bare, lower stems. They are also effective when grown so that…

Bees are always under pressure to find enough pollen and nectar, and they expend more energy and get tired more easily in periods of hot weather. So why not kill two birds with one stone and bring bright patio flower power to your plot, and help our precious bees at the same time? Visit a garden centre and watch what bees land on; then simply pick the blooms they love. Or look for the RHS Plants for Pollinators logo on the label. Echinacea, cirsium, monarda, verbena, scabious and salvia are all beloved by pollinators and will produce abundant colourful blooms for many weeks to come. You can mix them up in one big pot or provide a series of different containers. Plant them into a good multi-purpose compost, and keep…

There is much encouragement these days to manage your garden to help nature, and quite right too, given that so much wildlife is in decline nationally and globally. But what can you do if you only have a small space such as a courtyard, roof garden or balcony? Is it even possible to achieve anything of worth? It is true that, whatever you do in your garden (indeed, in any garden of any size), you won’t solve the problem on your own. That’s obvious! But nature stands its best chance of recovery if we all play our part. Your ‘small space’, if delivered well, could become a key link in the mosaic of habitats in your area, a stepping stone, a refuge. So, what should you do to make a…

1 Fill a free-draining container that is around 30cm deep, using good quality multipurpose compost. If you have a much deeper container, place upturned pots or crocks in the bottom so you don’t need lots of compost. 2 Firm the compost surface so it is 5cm lower than the rim of the container, then carefully place the seeds on the compost surface, spacing them 5-8cm apart. This will reduce the need for thinning out later. 3 Cover the seeds with a layer of sieved compost equal to the height of the seed, then soak them well using a watering can with a rose attachment. If any seeds rise to the top, push them back in and cover them. 4 Use a piece of terracotta pot to make a quirky label.…

Q Can I grow a fig in Scotland? NAHID SABIR, BY EMAIL A Fig trees are quite hardy but whether it fruits will depend on your microclimate and where it’s placed. It’s most likely to thrive if planted against a west- or south-facing wall. Figs usually produce two crops of small fruits each year and those that form in spring are unlikely to mature. So those that form in autumn, and overwinter as tiny figlets, will ripen the following summer. These should be able to survive winter cold, unlike larger fruits. If you can’t find a sheltered site, away from extreme winter cold, you could grow one in a pot (of loam-based compost) and move it into a cold greenhouse in winter. ‘Brown Turkey’ is the most reliable fig in most…

A pond is a wonderful way of breathing life into a garden, attracting insects, amphibians and birds that would be nowhere to be seen if you didn’t have this area of water on your patch. The most environmentally friendly ponds will be those that work with nature and don’t rely on plastic bottles full of chemicals to keep the water clear. And if you’re ready to make a new pond you have the chance to use an eco-friendly liner, or even use your natural soil conditions to hold the water. Making a new pond If you are making a new pond, it’s the perfect opportunity to do it plastic-free! Choose an ecofriendly, non-toxic pond liner, but if you have very heavy clay soil, then it may hold water without a…

Fantastic free flowers I am so grateful for all the free seeds we receive with Garden Answers. My garden has looked so colourful this year with the fabulous foxgloves, pristine poppies, luscious lupins and colourful cosmos and cornflowers. Thank you, Garden Answers. Tracey Atkinson, by email Bowled over We inherited this ‘Bowl of Beauty’ peony when we moved here 11 years ago and this year it set over 50 blooms. Sandy Dear. Donington, Lincs Star letter SHARED GARDENING GENES Having researched the family tree for some years, I did a DNA test, which linked me up with a cousin I never knew I had. She’s in her 80s while I’m in my 70s. As our messages unfolded, it turns out she opens her garden for charity as we did for…

1 Fennel flowerheads look good right through until autumn and can be left to provide winter structure, too. Give it a sheltered spot away from strong winds in any soil that isn’t waterlogged in winter. 2 A charming plant all through the back end of summer, ‘Blue Fortune’ is a fantastic pollinator plant and its leaves have a liquorice scent. Grow it in a sunny, well-drained spot. 3 Monarda ‘Scorpion’ forms a neat, tight clump in the border and is a real bee-magnet, as well as having spicy scented leaves. Grow it in a well sheltered spot in free-draining soil to help it survive winter.…

A Worcestershire gardener has won a special award from Plant Heritage for her dedication to growing aucuba. Linda Eggins started an aucuba collection with her late husband in their garden in Worcestershire in 1976 before it was transferred to Winterbourne House and Garden, in Birmingham, in 2016. The award acknowledges her passion for growing aucuba and her contribution to understanding of the plants of which she is now considered an international authority. For information on seeing the collection, visit winterbourne.org.uk.…

TAUNTON FLOWER SHOW August 1&2, 11am-7pm (6pm Sat), Vivary Park, Taunton, Somerset TA1 3QG Floral and competition marquees, designer gardens, music & stalls. Prebook from £18 • tauntonfs.co.uk HARROGATE ORCHID SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW  August 2&-3, 10am-4pm, RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate, Yorkshire HG3 1QB Orchid displays & plants from specialist growers and societies, talks and demos. From £15.85. • rhs.org.uk GREAT COMP SHOW August 9-10, 11am-5pm, Great Comp Garden, Comp Lane, Platt, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 8QS Unusual and quality plants from specialist nurseries, craft marquee, stalls and music. Pre-book from £10 • greatcompgarden.co.uk SOUTHPORT FLOWER SHOW August 14-17, Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1RX Specialist nurseries, show gardens and talks. From £26. • southportflowershow.co.uk AYR & DISTRICT FLOWER SHOW  August 15-16, 10am-5pm, Ayr Racecourse, Whitletts Rd, Ayr, Scotland KA8…

Hanging lights add a special atmosphere to the garden this month, with evenings still warm enough to sit out in but the light fading faster. Tealights are cheap and easy to use if you light them with long tapers, and there’s no electricity or relying on solar power to worry about 1 Place washed seashells and pebbles in the base of your jar (use eco-friendly shells from a craft supplier rather than taking them from the beach, which is illegal). 2 Place a tealight in the middle and if there’s room in a large jar, add more than one so it will cast more light. 3 Select a spot in the garden where the lights will beeffective, so you can see them from an area of the patio where you…

One of the best perennials to light up sunny summer borders is the aptly named torch lily or kniphofia, more familiarly known to us as red hot poker. The eye-catching blooms are both gloriously colourful and shapely, with chunky spike-like ‘poker’ flowers borne atop sturdy fleshy stems. These hardy perennials are exotic-looking yet easy to grow, their blooms creating marvellous strong verticals perfect for punctuating borders with seasonal structure. The flowers come in a choice of colours and are rich in nectar to feed pollinating insects, too. Kniphofias originate from southern and eastern regions of Africa and comprise around 70 species plus many named varieties. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that their exotic appearance and African origins means kniphofias can be used in ‘dry’ garden planting, which is an…

• In most summers we have dry periods, when the soil doesn’t hold enough moisture to maintain plant growth. Established plants can usually withstand a bit of drought, but wilting leaves and/or drooping flowers might appear on new or shallow-rooted plants. Scoop out a shallow depression around the plant crown and fill with water so it can slowly soak down. • Other stress symptoms for gardeners to look for are curling or browning leaves, which are suffering from leaf scorch. This happens when leaves lose water in drought or drying winds more quickly than roots can take it up. Keep well watered, mulch plants and move to a more sheltered spot if possible. • A white dusty coating on foliage, stems or flowers is powdery mildew – a fungal disease…

Garden ansewrs At Garden Answers magazine our aim is to help you make the most of your outdoor space by creating your perfect garden, whatever the season. Now’s the perfect time to take out a subscription with summer in full swing. This rich source of gardening ideas and inspiration can be delivered direct to your door, 13 times a year, with a free packet of seeds with every issue if you choose the Print Subscription. Or try our Print+ Subscription, which allows you to enjoy Subscribers-only rewards and discounts. Simply scan the QR code (below) with your smartphone or tablet camera to find out more. Subscribe Print+ Subscription: Get 3 issues for just £5* when you subscribe PLUS 1 free packet of seeds per issue (UK only) FREE UK DELIVERY Plus, add digital…

Our experts GEOFF STEBBINGS gives expert answers to all your gardening problems. Geoff is an author and gardening writer and was head gardener at Myddelton House, north London. GEOFF HODGE is a gardening and horticultural writer, editor and radio and TV broadcaster. He is also GA’s Buyers’ Guide editor. IAN HODGSON casts an expert eye over unruly borders, providing advice on how to revamp them. Ian is the author of Great Gardens, in association with the Society of Garden Designers. CHERRY TREES Solution of the month Q What’s happened to my previously healthy flowering cherry? IWAN THOMAS, CARMARTHENSHIRE A Your cherry tree is heavily infested with black aphids. These blackfly infest the young growth in spring. By midsummer they are usually ‘mopped up’ by predators such as ladybirds, but the…

Q How can I get rid of my lawn’s clover infestation? I’ve tried a weed-and-feed application. SUSAN WATERS, BY EMAIL A Clover is one of the most difficult lawn weeds to kill and it’s usually best to apply a lawn weedkiller as a liquid spray rather than using a combination granular product. Remember that many lawn weeds, including clover, can set seeds below the height of the mower, especially if the lawn isn’t mown regularly, and these seeds can produce new plants in just a few months even if the original weeds have been controlled. However, it is also worth remembering that clover lawns have many benefits. Clover grows lower than grass, so requires less mowing; the plants are deep rooted so stay vibrantly green even in drought; the clover…

You’re either a lawn devotee and love doing it or you’re indifferent and loathe having to do it, but there’s no doubt that correct, timely mowing is the most important factor in achieving a fabulous, great-looking lawn. That means it’s essential you have a lawnmower that can produce a quality cut and finish. But what should you look for? Blade type The first consideration is the type of blade: either a rotary mower or a cylinder mower. Cylinder mowers are the traditional choice for ‘bowling green’ lawns, and those based on fine-leaved grasses. They cut with a scissor action between the blades of the cylinder and the bottom plate. They are excellent for short and medium length grass, but tend to flatten long and wet grass; replacing the front roller…

A dazzling selection of prolific, long-flowering alstroemeria chosen for their bold colours, lush growth and extended blooming season. From June to October, masses of striking, trumpet-shaped blooms in a mix of rich shades appear, creating vibrant high-impact displays. Low maintenance and easy to grow, these hardy perennials grow to a height and spread of 50cm, making them ideal for both borders and pots. Supplied as 9cm pots, delivery in 10 days. • Buy 1 x ‘Marguerite’ for £17. • Buy 1 x ‘Diane’ for £17. • Buy 1 x ‘Henri’ for £17. • Buy Altroemeria Collection (1 of each) for £25 – you save £26! SAVE £23 ON AWESOME AGAPANTHUS ABIDING AGAPANTHUS COLLECTION A striking collection of beautiful African Lilies. Standing tall on strong, sturdy stems, clusters of exotic-looking, trumpet-shaped blooms…

VIOLA ‘VALENTINO’ A vibrant and cheerful mix of bold colours that instantly lifts garden spaces with lasting flower power and effortless charm from autumn through to spring. Proven to perform across the seasons, these tough little beauties don’t just cope with British weather, they thrive in both frost and sun. Compact and tidy in growth but bursting with life, they are perfect for high-impact planting where neatness and brightness matter most. Brilliant for gardeners of any experience level, they give reliable results and joyful colour without any complicated care or plant know-how. • Item 401154: 60 x Pro+ plug plants for just £22.97 – you save £22! Pansy ‘Top Wave’, exclusive to YouGarden, is the world’s first largeflowered trailing pansy. ‘Top Wave’ is just like the best-selling pansy ‘Cool Wave’,…

CLUES ACROSS 1 The orange-fruiting Physalis peruviana or - - - - gooseberry (4) 3 Persian - - - - - -, common name of tender Strobilanthes dyeriana (6) 7 Brightly coloured African genus named after Johannes Ursinus (7) 8 Alpine region lending its name to a winter cabbage variety (5) 9 ‘Cox’, ‘James Grieve’ or ‘Red Windsor’ (5) 11 Tree of the Betula genus (5) 13 Stone fruit produced by Prunus persica, a tree of Chinese origin (5) 15 US term for any green vegetable leaf especially loose-leaf cabbage (7) 16 Flowering plant known as catmint (6) 17 Hybrid Polygonatum also called Solomon’s - - - - or David’s harp (4) CLUES DOWN 1 Ornamental Japanese sago palm genus often grown as a house plant (5) 2 Botanical name of…