Garden Delights Services

26/08/2026

Three weeks ago a customer asked for his lawn to be scarified, topdressed and reseeded with rye grass seed.

Today we did the first grass cut.

Below are before and after photographs.

19/08/2026

Greenhouse, conservatory & houseplants
Houseplants
Water houseplants freely when they are in growth.

Feed plants when necessary, usually once every one to two weeks with a liquid feed.

Start plants for Christmas

Cyclamen that have been resting over the summer can be started back into growth for winter blooms. Watering and careful replacement of the top layer of compost should be sufficient to ‘wake’ them.


Hyacinths, ‘Paperwhite’ daffodils, freesias, and Lachenalia corms can be planted in bowls now to achieve flowers for Christmas. Once they have put on 2.5cm (1in) growth, they can be taken into a cool room, only to be brought into a warm room in time to flower for the festive period. Bulbs sold as ‘prepared’ can be forced by plunging the planted bowls in a cold, dark place for a few months, then bringing them straight inside to flower.

Ventilate greenhouses and conservatories to their maximum to prevent soaring temperatures. Use shading if necessary.
In the greenhouse.

Move conservatory plants outside and hose them down to help with pest management.

Damp down greenhouses on hot days to maintain humidity levels.


Pest and disease watch
Many conservatory and greenhouse pests will be active during the summer months. Check plants regularly for signs of glasshouse whitefly, leafhopper, red spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects.

Clean up fallen leaves and spilt compost from benches and floors to prevent pests and diseases spreading.

17/08/2026

Structures
Take advantage of the dry weather by painting fences, sheds and other wooden features with a preservative. Check that any products used are within their use-by date, and still legal. Many of the old oil-based products such as creosote are no longer approved for domestic use.

Clean up patios and hard surfaces to get rid of moss and algae. Doing this job now will prevent them becoming slippery during the winter.

Replace broken glass panes in greenhouses and fix leaking shed roofs before the autumn rains. Greenhouse guttering can also be checked to ensure it is not blocked with debris.

17/08/2026

16/08/2026

Ponds
General maintenance
Keep an eye on aquatic and marginal plants, removing faded flowers and yellow leaves, and cutting back where necessary.

Top up water where necessary in ponds and water features. Aerate the water in hot sticky weather by leaving fountains on overnight.

Continue to remove blanket w**d and duckw**d using a net or rake.

Troubleshooting
Shallow water features or those with water washing over cobbles can become green very quickly in summer weather. Eco products based on naturally-occurring micro-organisms or plant extracts may help keep the water clear.

15/08/2026

Lawns
Maintenance
Raise the cutting height on your mower, especially with a fine lawn. This will help the grass cope better in hot, dry weather – see our guide to looking after lawns in drought.

Mow lawns lightly and frequently, producing short clippings that are best left on the lawn during hot weather to act as a moisture-retentive mulch. Any excess plant debris (thatch) can be scarified out during autumn maintenance. Mulching mowers cut the clippings even more finely than normal rotary blades, making the mulch less visible.

Cut summer-flowering meadows if the plants have shed their seeds – see our guide to meadow maintenance.
Resist the temptation to water established lawns, even in dry spells – grass should cope well with drought and although it may die back, it will soon recover once rain returns. See our advice on caring for lawns in drought. Only new lawns (see below) need watering.

For lawns on thin or poor soil, consider applying a high phosphate feed. This will strengthen the roots for winter, rather than encouraging lush top growth that could suffer in the cold and weaken the grass.

See our guide to spring/summer lawn care.


New lawns
Water areas that were newly sown or turfed in spring every few days unless it rains, to keep them going through their first summer. Use collected rainwater or grey water if possible. If resorting to a sprinkler, only water for the minimum time needed to wet the roots sufficiently but not excessively – judge this by placing an open jam-jar on the lawn and run the sprinkler until 13mm (½in) of water has collected inside.

Cut new lawns every week or so, as required, progressively lowering the height of the blades until they’re back at the normal level. But in hot weather, keep the blades high or stop mowing for a while.
Use your new lawn as little as possible until autumn.

Prepare the ground if you want to make a new lawn this autumn by w**ding and digging over the soil. Leave it for a few weeks to allow w**ds to re-emerge, then hoe off to ensure you’ve thoroughly cleared the site.


Troubleshooting
Browning of lawns is common in hot, dry summers and nothing to worry about. Avoid wasting water on established lawns if possible, as they will soon green up again once it rains. However, if you want to keep a small lawn green, use collected rainwater or grey water (washing-up water or bath water). Good autumn lawn care (scarifying and aerating) should help to reduce browning in subsequent summers. Also see our lawns in drought advice.
Smaller brown patches can have many causes, including dog urine, petrol or oil from a mower, w**dkiller and fertiliser overdosing – see our guide to remedying dead patches on lawns.

Yellowing grass that contains small pinkish-red strands may be caused by red thread. This fungal disease is common on light soil in wet summers, when nitrogen can be washed away. A nitrogen-rich fertiliser should remedy the problem, but take care to use fertilisers sparingly to minimise environmental impact.

14/08/2026

Trees and shrubs
Pruning and training
Prune wisteria and climbing shrubs such as Pyracantha after flowering.

Hebes and lavenders can be given a light prune after flowering.

Rambling roses can be pruned now, once they have finished flowering.

Give hedges a final trim over now. They will only grow a little before cold weather stops growth.

Get in qualified tree surgeons to remove large shrubs and trees that were casualties of winter waterlogging and summer drought. Remove stumps wherever possible, as rots could spread to other plants.


General maintenance
Continue to deadhead shrubs, such as roses, to extend flowering into early autumn. Spindly specimens that have lost leaves can be cut back a little further when deadheading, to encourage new growth.

Thoroughly soak drought-stressed plants and shrubs, especially newly planted ones. Use grey, recycled or stored rain water wherever possible.

Keep early-flowering shrubs such as Camellia and Rhododendron well watered during dry periods to ensure good flower bud initiation.


Propagation
Semi-ripe cuttings can still be taken to propagate many common garden shrubs (e.g. box, Ceanothus, lavender).

Rhododendrons, azaleas and Clematis can be propagated by layering.


Pest and disease watch
Brown patches, needle loss and sooty mould on spruce (Picea) trees are evidence of green spruce aphid damage earlier in the year.

Mid to late August is a good time of the year to apply biological controls for vine weevil. Grubs will be starting to hatch and soil temperatures are now suitable for the nematodes to be effective. Target vulnerable plants such as Rhododendron, Camellia and containerised plants including fuchsias.

Black spot on roses is very common at this time of year, and spraying will no longer be effective. Clear fallen leaves and dispose of them to prevent spread.

Powdery mildew can be a problem in dry summers.

Leaf drop, disfigured and damaged leaves can be a symptom of weather damage.

13/08/2026

Flowers
Sowing and planting
Towards the end of August sow hardy annuals directly into borders. They will overwinter and flower next summer.

Cutting back, pruning and dividing
Cutting back the foliage and stems of herbaceous plants that have already died back (e.g. Dicentra) is starting to be a priority.

Don't neglect hanging baskets - deadheading, watering and feeding will help them last through until autumn.

Deadhead plants such as Dahlia, roses and Penstemon and bedding to prolong the display colour well into early autumn.

Don't cut off the flowerheads of ornamental grasses. These will provide winter interest.

Hardy geraniums can be cut back a little to remove tired leaves and encourage a new flush of growth.

Prune climbing and rambling roses that do not repeat flower or produce attractive hips, once the flowers have finished.

Propagation
Pinks and carnations can be propagated by layering. Propagate irises by dividing the rhizomes if not done last month.

Take cuttings of tender perennials such as Pelargonium and Osteospermum, as soon as possible. A greenhouse, cool conservatory or a light windowsill are ideal to bring them on until they are established.

Rock garden plants, such as Helianthemum, Aubrieta and Dianthus can be propagated from cuttings at this time of year.

General maintenance
Feed containers, and even tired border perennials, with a liquid tomato food each week to encourage them to bloom into the early autumn.

Keep picking flowers from the cutting garden to encourage more flower buds to form and open.

Alpines that have developed bare patches of die-back, or have become w**dy, can be tidied up by in-filling the patches with gritty compost. This will encourage new growth as well as improving their appearance.

Most perennial w**ds are best dealt with when in active growth.

Planning ahead
Collect and store seed of hardy annuals and perennials for sowing later in the autumn. Good plants to try include Calendula, Nigella, Cerinthe, Papaver, Aquilegia and hardy Geranium.

Buy or order spring-flowering bulbs. Some bulbs can be planted now, such as Colchicum, daffodils and Madonna lilies (L. candidum).

Pest and disease watch
Inspect chrysanthemums for the first signs of white rust and take immediate action.

Remove and destroy any Nicotiana showing signs of downy mildew. This shows up as yellowish blotches on the upper surface of the leaves.

A white silvery coating on the leaves of some perennials and shrubs caused by the fungus powdery mildew can be seen at this time of the year, although unsightly it’s not usually harmful to plants.

Apply nematodes to control vine weevil grubs, in pots or the ground.

If your dahlia blooms are ragged, earwigs are the likely cause of the damage, so fill small pots with shredded newspaper and place upturned on canes to trap them overnight.

Don't be worried by bright green, heavily-armoured looking insects on your plants - these are harmless shieldbugs which do not require control.

Distortion on Phlox could indicate the presence of phlox eelworm.

Discoloured leaves on herbaceous plants such as Chrysanthemum, Anemone and Penstemon may be leaf and bud eelworm.

12/08/2026

Gardening in August
Sultry late summer

August is usually one of the hottest months of the year, making watering essential. Try to use grey water wherever possible, especially as water butts may be running low if it has been a dry summer. August is traditionally holiday time, so you might need to enlist the help of friends and family to look after the garden while you are away. When you are at home, take the time to prune wisteria and summer-flowering shrubs such as lavender once they’ve finished flowering.

Top gardening jobs this month
1
Prune wisteria
Wisteria needs regular pruning to keep the growth and size under control, but it will also improve the flowering display. Although it seems complicated, wisteria pruning is quite easy if you follow our simple guide.

How to prune wisteria
2
Summer prune trained apples and pears
Summer pruning is mainly for apples and pears trained as cordons, espaliers, fans, pyramids and stepovers. It allows sunlight to ripen the fruit and ensures good cropping next year.

Summer pruning
3
Deadhead flowering plants regularly
Remove spent flowers once they start to look scruffy. The simplest method is to just pinch off the faded blooms, or snip back to the first leaf below the flower for a neater finish