With the sun out there can t be much to do in the garden in August. Or is there

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A.� Apart from enjoying them, deadhead fading flowers of annuals and perennials to encourage second showings and cut out weak stems and dead foliage from those that have definitely finished flowering. Feed up roses to give their last blooms a bit of longevity. Keep on top of weeds with the hoe, as they’ll have a field day in August if left in check. Hardy annuals such as nigella and alyssum can be sown now, especially in milder areas. Seedlings may not survive a cold winter but those that do will provide an early show next spring.

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A.� If we get the heatwave we all long for then grass will need regular watering to keep it lush. It doesn’t do the lawn any good to soak it on one day, with pools of sitting water, and then let it dry out for the next week or so. If you've got a reasonably large area of grass to deal with use a sprinkler for even and regular watering.

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A.� If you got your planning right this should be the month of plenty, with lettuce, radish, beans, cucumbers, artichokes etc all providing a plentiful harvest. Early potatoes should be lifted when the hulms begin to decay if they haven't been already. Runner beans should be pinched out when they get to the top of canes to concentrate energy on producing flowers and pods and marrows should be cut when ripe. Ripening fruit crops like raspberries apples and pears should be protected from from birds with netting if necessary.

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