Gardeners warned over 'essential' job for August to get garden looking good
As your plants bloom over August, gardeners are advised to complete one task to make sure their garden remains lush and healthy.
With the warm weather and long, bright days, many Brits are spending more time in their gardens: planning barbecues, outdoor lunches and even just settling down on a chair with a great book. It also means that many of us are attempting to make our gardens look as appealing as possible.
After all, there are few things better than being able to enjoy a gorgeous nature-filled view every time you step outside. A great way to do this is by exercising your green thumb and planting different kinds of flowers. Some of the most popular and easiest flowers to grow in the UK include lavender and roses.
Roses bring with them vibrant blooms, a delicious scent and connotations of romance. Meanwhile, lavender also carries a sweet fragrance and is known to attract pollinators – which can further boost your garden.
However, while both flowers are relatively simple to take care of, experts say there is one important task that should be completed in August in order to keep them looking neat and healthy.
Pruning is one of a gardener's most common tasks, and roses and lavender are no exception. Both flowers benefit greatly from being trimmed back during the summer.
This is because pruning helps with far more than simply keeping your flower borders looking crisp. By cutting away dead, wilting or excess blooms and leaves, you help redirect energy and resources back to the plant.
This can encourage your flowers to produce fresh blooms and can lead to a more vibrant appearance. In turn, it will help your garden maintain a lush summer look.
Another important benefit of pruning is that it can help curb disease by cutting away afflicted parts of the plant. This way, you can help stop the spread.
As reported by Country Living, senior gardener at Bowood country estate Phil Nichols advised: "Cut back rambling roses by about a third to help manage their growth." He added: 'Lavender can be trimmed back slightly beyond this year's flowers to keep the plant compact."
He also recommended continuing to feeding your flowering plants during the summer to supply them with energy. In particular, he suggested that seaweed feed is a good option at this time of year.
Another important task that Phil recommended getting stuck into is deadheading, which includes most annual and perennial plants. Deadheading involves removing dead flower blooms to encourage further blooming.
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The Sun
11 hours ago
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'We were angry that this was allowed to happen, even with safeguards in place in the building contract. We felt helpless in a different country.' Irene advises people to buy a completed – or near-completion – new build from a reputable English-speaking estate agent only. Last October, as I pushed open the door to my new home, I was greeted with the previous owners' past life – piles of dusty, colourful furniture. Despite the house only having three bedrooms, I removed 14 beds, 45 chairs, five dining tables, 30 pairs of curtains and a variety of creepy animal skeletons - rodents, geckos and a cat. Quite often, Spanish houses are sold furnished. However, former civil servant, Janice Carter, 60, who moved to Alicante from London, got the surprise of her life when she walked into a decaying home. 'The house needed more work than we realised,' she says. 'The sellers gave us the impression they were living there, but they weren't. 'It was damp and the plaster just fell off the walls.' Janice had been sold by the beautiful, pristine swimming pool in the seller's listing. 'But the swimming pool was thick green algae and unusable,' she says. 'They'd sent us an old photo saying: 'You'll be swimming here this time next week'. 'We'd also purchased some items of furniture from them to see us through until our belongings arrived, but when we got there, nothing was left – only their cat.' 6 When renovating in Spain, everything moves in slow motion. My architect disappeared for so long, I feared he might be dead. The builder said he was popping to the Spanish equivalent of B&Q, only to return three days later. After hiring my sixth architect in a year, I've learned to embrace Spain's slow pace. One quote was so overpriced, it would have been cheaper to become an architect myself. Building materials and furnishings can cost almost double what they do in the UK, too. While the wine and bottled water might be cheaper, don't expect the same bargain prices when it comes to housing supplies. Those tiles? Twice the price. That tap? Might as well be gold-plated. Building quotes have no limits, either. It's not uncommon for builders to add a few extra zeros onto the price when they discover you're an expat. Surprisingly, it is mostly British or foreign builders working in Spain who are the culprits. Most Spanish local authorities have strict building regulations. It's often a difficult and lengthy process to obtain permissions for builds and extensions. For example, I have a strict exterior colour palette to choose from of bold pinks, yellows and oranges, in-keeping with the historic village, and my perimeter fence can't be higher than 1.2 metres and must include an element of transparency. We'd also purchased furniture from them to see us through until our belongings arrived, but when we got there, nothing was left — only their cat. 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Daily Mirror
a day ago
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Aldi fans can now get a tattoo in stores that look like Specialbuys
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