Hedges

Trim your hedges to provide a neat finished before the winter months. Fagus sylvatica (purple Beech) has lovely bright red shoots on their new growth. Propagate these shoots and hopefully you will have new plants this time next year.
Never cut into brown wood on conifers.

Raspberries

Cut out old canes after fruiting - Mulch generously as they are shallow rooting and start to empty your well rotted composting.

Pelargoniums

Cuttings may be taken now, insert 12 in a 5" pot which can be kept on a windowsill until spring.

Wallflowers

Remove growing points to make bushy.

Lawns

Sow new lawns and re-seed worn areas. Aerate and top dress with a fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium and low in nitrogen. Mow with blades not too low. Cover patches of moss in lawns with sharp sand and rake out when black. Lots of jobs to do in September on your lawn!

Bulbs

Purchase Prepared hyacinth bulbs to ensure flowering for Christmas.
Early varieties of Narcissus such as Narcissus 'February Gold' are the first daffodils to appear - get some now!

Trees & Shrubs

Plant trees, shrubs and roses, adding peat & bonemeal to the soil and watering well. This time is ideal to plant conifers and other evergreens.

Wishlist to move plants around

Make a note of plants dying off for you to move in the autumn months. If you don't leave yourself a note, you will forget!

Aphids

Check all plants regularly for these lovely aphids and spray with appropriate insecticide.

Roses

Keep on deadheading those roses for your second flush of flowers.

Blooms

Cut sweet pea blooms and continue to deadhead your bedding plants in pots and containers.

Bulbs

Towards the end of August beautiful bulbs appear in shops and garden centres. Look out for Tulipa 'Prestans Fusilier' these are miniature, multiheaded and lovely rich red - they are a delight.
Propagate sweet bay from cuttings of ripe shoots

Sowing outside

Onions for over wintering, try Angelica, Salad Onions, Spring Lettuce, winter corn salad and spinach.

Harvesting

Harvest all your lovely crops following your seasons hard work, store in a dry cool place .

Vegetables

Plant Broccoli now and start sowing French Beans for September cropping.
Sow your cabbage for next spring and earth up your potatoes when the foliage is 10" leaving around 4" visible.

Remove

Deadhead Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Erica, Lilac, Laburnum and Geraniums.

Aphids

Watch out for aphids on your lovely roses, tomatoes and soft fruits and for sawfly on gooseberries.

Lawns

Feed every few weeks and regularly clip your lawn.

Newly Planted

Trees, shrubs and other garden plants - give a good soak if the soil starts to dry out - the best time for planting in April or September to ensure they are well watered in!!!

Roses

Remove blooms as they fade and feed regularly Prevent blackspot and mildew by regularly applying chemicals.
Remove any suckers from the lower section of the plant.

Wallflowers

Remove growing points to help plant bush out.

Sweet Peas

Remove side shoots and tendrils, feed regularly, they also like lots of water.

Containers

Feed with a slow release fertilizer and regularly deadhead plants when required.

Cuttings

Propagate half-hardy plants e.g. Fuchsias, Petunias, Verbenas & Geraniums. Those cuttings that have rooted should be planted in pots to keep indoors over winter. Now is also a good time to clip and take cuttings from Buxus sempervirens, Lavendula and Salvias.

Trim

Box hedges, Yew & Hollies to formal shapes.

Herbaceous Peonies

These beautiful peonies done like to be moved, if your clump is huge then wait until the Autumn to divide it.

Privet

Clip Privet every 3 weeks if you wish to maintain a formal hedge.

Prune

Prune Philadelphus before it flowers and allow more light and air for healthy growth. Don't forget to prune the older stems of the Deutzia and Weigelia and cut hard back post flowering.

Summer Bedding in baskets

Plant out from the end of May, enjoy your long awaited colour. To achieve this water daily either early morning or late in the evening or both on very dry days and feed regularly. Don't forget to dead head those finished flowers to encourage more.

Sow

Californian poppies directly into the soil for colour and encourage hoverflies as the larvae feed on aphid.
Winter beetroot for your vegetable garden.

Tomatoes

Remove side shoots and feed after first truss is formed & set up supports for them to train/tie in.

Vegetables

Raise your Marrows, Pumpkins and Courgettes in your glasshouse and plant out other veg such as Cauliflower, Broccoli, Sweet Pepper etc.

Aphids

Watch out for aphids on roses, tomatoes and soft fruits and for sawfly on gooseberries - purchase appropriate insecticide.

Lawns

Cut often but not too close and avoid treatments in dry periods. The best time to apply a lawn feed is in the spring when it is pouring down.

Routine tasks

Pinch out the growing points of sweet peas, broad and runner beans.
Earth up your potatoes and spray Celery if celery fly present.
Stop cucumbers outside after 5-6 leaves and remove flowering shoots from your Rhurbarb.
Cut leaves of French tarragon for drying a& propagate rosemary from heel cuttings
Regular hoeing and nurturing your plants.

Rock Garden

'Top dress' your rock garden with an equal mix of loam, sharp sand and peat and add a handful of fertilizer to each bucketful of dressing.

Annuals

Weed and thin annuals and other seedlings and prick out and transplant as required.

Mulching

Apply your leaf mould to garden borders especially acid-lovers e.g. Azaleas & Camellias.

Pot Plants

Plants such as Fuchsias, Geraniums and Verbenas that have been kept in pots through the winter may be planted out in beds or borders as the weather warms up and when no further frost is forecast.

Lawns

Repair any patches within your lawn, cut regularly as weather allows and feed every few weeks.

Vegetables

Plant lettuce, radish, spring onion and wintergreens and late crop potatoes may be chitted. Don't forget Potato 'Maxine' which is a 2nd early! French and runner beans can be sown in late May. Give a little fertilizer before planting. Earth up potatoes when the foliage so about 10" leaving 4" visible

Tomatoes

May be planted in cold greenhouse. Remove any side shoots and feed when first truss appears.

Fruit

Spray gooseberry bushes and strawberry plants against fungus diseases with safe insecticide.

Hanging baskets, tubs & pots

Plant up in the later part of this month/early June. Ensure that all have good drainage. Ensure drainage in your pots, fill with multi-purpose compost and regularly water and feed your plants to ensure your colourful display this summer.

Tulips

To keep until next year, wait until the leaves go yellow then cut them off the bulb, and brush soil off bulb. Let them dry over night then dust with a fungicide and store in a paper bag. Replant in November.

Ground elder

To kill the root, wait until there is a large amount of leaf then apply a weed killer.

Grow

Summer herbs and vegetables in pots. Lettuce e.g. Lotto rosso, rocket and runner beans parsley and coriander can all be sown straight into pots.

Trim

Box hedges and on young trees cut away dead wood which should be clearly visible this time of year. Check if a stake is still needed and loosen as required.

Roses

Remove suckers from your roses and re-firm if necessary.

Water Feature

If you have a water feature within your garden check the pump is working following the cold snap. Clean your pond or water feature removing debris and pond weed. A pair of old tights helps prevent your pump from clogging up!

Bulbs

Fertilise your garden bulbs after flowering and leave them to naturally die back.
Plant bulbs for your summer display

Lavenders

Lightly trim your lavenders but only lightly to keep them tidy.

Lawn

Carry out lawn maintenance operations: aerate, feed and re sow where appropriate. Mow weekly.

Pruning

Prune Roses and late flowering shrubs.

Lawns

Tidy all your garden borders and edge your lawns for a neat appearance using long handles shears or a half moon tool.

Remove winter protection, but beware of late frosts and repot plants.

Perennials

Divide Herbaceous Perennials if they have outgrown their position and share with your friends.

Trees

Replant trees and shrub weather permitting.

Veg

Sow more Vegetable seeds and annual bedding for your summer displays.

Ferns and Grasses

Trim ferns and ornamental grasses - Miscanthus sinensis etc should now be cut back to ground level - you will see the new shoots emerging very soon!

Vegetables

Start your Onion sets under glass and chit your early potatoes
Lime the ground wherever your brassicas are located.

Sweet Peas

If you haven't sown your sweet peas last autumn now is the time to do just that, placing a seed in each small modular tray.

Fruit

Spray your fruit trees and bushes with an appropriate winter wash and finish winter pruning. Don't forget to cut away the old canes on your Raspberries and plant out Gooseberry and Currant bushes when there is no frost or snow.
Start forcing your Rhurbarb by darkening the environment around the plant. Feed around the crowns by applying well rotted farm yard mature.

Prune

Towards the end of February prune winter flowering Jasmin and provide some Growmore fertilizer for your plants.
Prune your Wisteria back to 2 buds.

Continue to plant bareroot trees and shrubs if not frost is present.
Deadhead Hydrangeas cutting above the upper most bud.
Keep on tidying up your garden, we are on our way to those sunny days.