I thought I would regale you with another of my passions, the garden. No lesser man than the great Voltaire said in Candide that “we must take care of our garden”. I am sure that he was not really talking about horticulture but this is not the place to discuss one of France’s greatest minds. Back to the garden. August is really a quite a lazy month. Local authorities permitting, the most important thing is watering. In many ways this is quite convenient. For one, the sun is at its most brutal and you should always be wary of it when gardening (factor max is needed) and two, the garden is looking great so enjoy it.

This is a time to tidy up, keep a wary eye on those weeds, and accept nothing that you do not want. Terminate with extreme prejudice. The problem of course is that good watering leads to good weeds. Water early in the morning and water well, make sure it soaks through. If in doubt dig down a couple of inches with a trowel to ensure the water has permeated through.

Grooming is always important (in all things) so dead head your annuals; this will avoid the garden looking messy and prolong the season. One can never say it enough, watch those hanging baskets and water well.

This is a good month to plant your container things; shrubs, perennials and even small trees.

In late August prune those hybrid roses.  Lastly, you are not the only one enjoying the weather.