The garden can begin to look a little shabby by August. The dry summer wind is usually a big part of this but you can bring a bit of crispness to things again by giving your hedges a trim - especially now that the young birds have flown the nest

Getting the hedge in order now also means that any new growth will have time to harden up before the cold weather sets in.

Whilst in the trimming mood, your early summer flowering shrubs will probably need a light prune once they have finished flowering. With wisteria, pyrachantha, hebes and lavender inparticular this can prevent plants becoming straggly. A good prune will also help produce bushy new growth that will bring the flowers next summer.

Evil weevils

Mid to late August sees the soil temperature about right for use of nematodes as a biological control of the dreaded vine weevil who’s grubs will be starting to hatch. If left unattended, they will attack vulnerable plants such as rhododendron, fushcias and camellias.

Planning ahead

• As some flowering is finishing, collecting and storing seeds of your favourites will keep you in ready supply for next year….

• Collect ripe seed (roughly two months after flowering) on a dry day, you can usually tell if ready if the seedpod is brown.

• Pick seed heads, lay them out to dry on a greenhouse bench; windowsill or in the airing cupboard, this make it easier to extract the seed from pods or capsules.

• Some seed heads explode to release their seeds… I like these ones as much as the kids do as timing is of the essence. You have to catch them before they explode by placing a bag over them and shaking!

• After extracting the seeds, clean away any chaff surrounding them as this can harbour mould and diseases.

• Sowing of collected seed is best delayed until autumn/spring so store until then.

• To store: place dry seed in labelled paper packets in an airtight container, humidity or warmth can cause seed to deteriorate.