With August just around the corner it’s time to get excited… August is when the first sign of spring arrives in the garden. Fresh shoots start emerging and your garden starts readying itself in anticipation of the coming months.
A little extra help and encouragement such as a layer of mulch and fertiliser will not go amiss and is a perfect way to prepare your garden for the burst of growth and activity that will erupt throughout the spring months. Use a general fertiliser to boost your garden in early spring – consult your local nursery.
There is still a risk of frost in cooler areas, so make sure you keep those tender plants covered until the last risk of frost has passed. August is also the time to cut back dead and frosted parts of your shrubs.
August is a great time to plant spring and summer annuals including but not limited to:
• Pansies
• Petunias
• Lobelias
• Dianthus (Sweet William)
• Begonias
• Gazanias
• Alyssum
• Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
Early spring is also a great time to rejuvenate your roses so don’t forget to prune and fertilise them. Consult your local nursery for a suitable rose fertiliser. Why not plant some new varieties? Roses can be used as bushes, climbers or container plants!
Indigenous plants are always in fashion because they save water, grow well in our environment, are fast growing and colorful. These are just a few that you can get from your local garden centre:
• Vygies
• Osteospermums
• Nemesias
• Diascias
• Gazanias
If it’s exotic colour you’re after, here are some exotic perennials and small shrubs to plant in August:
• Argyranthemum (daisy bushes)
• Cuphea
• Brachyscome
• Lavenders
August is considered to be ‘the’ windy month in most parts of South Africa so don’t forget to stake newly planted trees and standards to prevent them from toppling over or snapping in the wind.
A healthy summer lawn starts with good spring (August) maintenance:
• If you have kikuyu and the matt build-up is thick, it’s a good idea to scarify the lawn. To do this, set the mover on the lowest setting to remove the thick top growth (wear a mask for the dust).
• Water your lawn well and leave it for two to three hours before aerating the lawn.
• To aerate the lawn take an ordinary heavy duty fork or a spike roller, dig the fork into the ground as deep as possible moving the fork forwards and backwards.
• Spread a general fertiliser over the whole lawn, top dress lightly with lawn dressing and then water well.
Happy (nearly) spring gardening!
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