Traderhorn gladiolus and Bobo hydrangea, Photo by Amanda Jarrett
The Garden Website for August
New Blog! Heritage Vancouver 7th Annual Garden Tour
New Article: Dealing With Drought!
August Introduction - August Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog
August Garden Chores - August Garden Stars - Plant Police - August Lawn Care
Pruning & Dead heading - Collecting Seeds - Darn Drought - Please Don't Let Me Dry
Out When to Harvest Vegetables - When to Harvest Fruit
Taming Tomatoes - Winter Vegetable Gardening
August Arrangement - Plant of the Month: Japanese Anemones
Need Help? - Job Postings - Learn How to Prune - Garden & Plant Events - For the Tropical Gardener
New Article: Dealing With Drought!
August Introduction - August Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog
August Garden Chores - August Garden Stars - Plant Police - August Lawn Care
Pruning & Dead heading - Collecting Seeds - Darn Drought - Please Don't Let Me Dry
Out When to Harvest Vegetables - When to Harvest Fruit
Taming Tomatoes - Winter Vegetable Gardening
August Arrangement - Plant of the Month: Japanese Anemones
Need Help? - Job Postings - Learn How to Prune - Garden & Plant Events - For the Tropical Gardener
Dwarf Cherry Rose nasturtium.
Heritage Vancouver 7th Annual Garden Tour
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If you missed Heritage Vancouver's 7th Annual Garden Tour that took place in June, don't worry as I wrote a blog about it. I've included a small description of each garden, but the pictures really tell the story. There's some great garden ideas, plant combos, super colours and cool plants. To go to the blog click here. For the previous year's Heritage Vancouver 6th annual garden tour, click here.
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One of the 15 gardens on the 2 day self-guided tour.
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* New Job Posting! *Coconut Grove, a landscaping company, is looking to hire a full-time maintenance crew leader with 2 years experience, preferably a RLT graduate. Must have the ability to drive a truck with a trailer, supervise a 3 person crew, for more information click here.
August Intro
Yellow pear tomatoes are the jewels of the tomato harvest.
It’s August and the veggie garden is in full swing so it’s not the best time to go on vacation. I speak from personal experience as our family goes on holiday every year at the same time in August. A week doesn’t seem like much time, but my garden disagrees. I have a wonderful neighbour who does a great job in my absence, but it’s a lot of extra responsibility and work for her and I am ever so thankful for her kindness. Of course she can keep anything she harvests, but she doesn’t take much as she has her own veggie garden to tend and to harvest.
Vacations aside, water becomes a precious resource in summer. The veggie garden, planters and hanging planters suffer the most when it’s hotter than hades and rain fails to fall. Tomatoes love the heat, but they quickly fail when they are deprived of water. Thank goodness for timers. All our sprinklers are hooked up to a central timer. They cover the lawn areas and the gardens, but two days is all that is allowed due to the local water restrictions. Any supplemental water must be applied by hand. When I am away on vacation, I’m glad for sun at the beach but I always wish for rain at home! I must admit it’s difficult to go on holidays as I’m a gardener living in the temperate climate of Southern coastal British Columbia. It isn’t until November we get our first frost, and by February it’s time to sow seeds indoors. That leaves November, December and January… hmm. As I am whisked away from my garden every August I am reminded there’s got to be more in life than gardening……. but I just can’t think of what it is. Happy harvesting! Cheers, Amanda 
A pink pincushion flower (Scabiosa), a herbaceous perennial for sun, provides nectar for a bee.
Ask Amanda
However, instead of putting out two branches to replace the removed tip, it has only put out another single vertical growing tip with the same leaf structures as before. Back to square one! Can you advise on how to force it to actually branch? Mac, Liverpool, England
Answer:Thank you for your question regarding your curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigii). It is such an interesting and usual plant, which led me to do some research. Read more here. 
Violet Queen bee balm surrounds a light mauve garden phlox.
August PLANT COMBOA soft mauve garden phlox and Violet Queen deep purple bee balm share the same conditions. They both prefer full sun, moist fertile soil with good drainage, and good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew, which they are both prone to.
plant police
Displays of annuals grown in planters may be in need of some TLC. Some may need a bit more than deadheading if they have dried out too often and for too long like my sad example above. While my other planters are doing swimmingly, these poor nasturtiums, kale and petunias have seen better days. In 3 weeks, they have become prey to aphids. It was my fault for using such a shallow container, but this one is just too shallow for all those plants. And they were placed in a sunny spot to add insult to injury. The petunias are salvageable although they are a bit worse for wear. I cut the kale off at it's base but left an inch or two on the nasturtiums and deadhead some of the petunias. It does look much better, I hope I don't forget to water!
Watering Restrictions Continue
Watering shrubs, trees, gardens is permitted any day of the week from 4 to 9 am as long as the hose has an automatic cut-off device.
For Metro Vancouver, B.C.
Water restrictions from May 1 to October 15. For more information, click here. If you don’t live in Metro Vancouver, contact your local municipality. Trees, shrubs & flowers: Any day from 4 to 9 am for sprinklers, hand watering and drip irrigation. All hoses must have an automatic shut-off device.
Residential lawn watering schedule according to address numbers:
Even-numbered: Wed & Sat, 4 to 9 a.m. Odd-numbered: Thurs & Sun, 4 to 9 a.m. Non-residential (businesses) lawn watering schedule: Even-numbered: Mon, 1 to 6 a.m., Fri 4 to 9 am. Odd-numbered: Tues, 1 to 6 a.m., Fri 4 to 9 am |
Amanda's Garden Blog
April in Paris sweet peas growing in British Columbia.
Learn How to PruneWhat to prune now? How to prune? What tools to use? How far can a plant be cut back? All are great questions. Register here for Amanda to teach you all about pruning your plants in your garden at your convenience.
Fourth of July climbing rose, International Rose Test Garden, Portland.
LIST YOUR GARDEN & PLANT RELATED EVENTS
For plant and garden club events, plant sales, garden tours, workshops and other plant related events. To post your event here click here. Need Help?
Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc. Need help trying to figure out how to get the garden ready for spring? Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here.
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Pruning & Dead Heading
A Japanese spirea is loaded with spent flowers.
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After the flowers and a bit of the stems have been removed.
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A few weeks later, new vibrant foliage emerges.
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Deadheading shrubs
Removing faded blossoms does more than neaten things up as many shrubs will rebloom. They’ll become bushier too. Instead of developing seeds, plants redirect their energy to produce more stems and leaves. It also prevents unwanted seedlings from popping up. Remove dead flowers by cutting back stems to a healthy, robust leaf, a cluster of leaves, a node (bud) or side branch. Cutback Shrubs: As soon as shrubs finish flowering tidy them up by removing ¼ from their stems, dead flowers included: Japanese spirea, deutzia, weigela. Cane fruit: Cut down raspberry and blackberry canes that have already borne fruit. |
Lavender: Remove the flowers and just a bit of the stems to keep plants bushy and compact.
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Roses: Many types of roses produce more blossoms if the old, spent flowers are removed asap. Prune off entire flower clusters to a 5 to 7 leaflet leaf that is facing away from the centre of the plant. Feed and water after pruning. More on pruning roses here.
Fruit trees: Remove suckers, dead, diseased, overly long branches and ones that are in the way etc. Prune back the side branches of apple trees to encourage fruiting spurs. Cut them back to only a few buds and in a couple of years those buds should revert to fruiting spurs.
Wisteria: Summer pruning is essential to tame this aggressive plant and to initiate more flowers. Cut back each side branch to a 2 to 4 buds (nodes). The remaining buds should revert to fruiting spurs in a couple of years.
After Pruning: To help plants bounce back give them a nice drink and feed them with fish, kelp or another organic plant food.
For more on pruning click here.
Fruit trees: Remove suckers, dead, diseased, overly long branches and ones that are in the way etc. Prune back the side branches of apple trees to encourage fruiting spurs. Cut them back to only a few buds and in a couple of years those buds should revert to fruiting spurs.
Wisteria: Summer pruning is essential to tame this aggressive plant and to initiate more flowers. Cut back each side branch to a 2 to 4 buds (nodes). The remaining buds should revert to fruiting spurs in a couple of years.
After Pruning: To help plants bounce back give them a nice drink and feed them with fish, kelp or another organic plant food.
For more on pruning click here.
August Garden Stars
Giant Hyssop, Agastache 'Blue Compact', 2 to 4', herbaceous perennial, sun to light shade. Aromatic leaves. Attracts bees, keeps cabbage moth from brassicas. Zones 4 to 10.
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German garlic, Allium senescens glaucum, herbaceous perennial bulb, grows to 1 ft., sun to part light shade, fragrant flowers & foliage, drought tolerant. Zones 4 to 8.
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Pampass grass, Cortaderia selloana, herbaceous perennial, ornamental grass, 8-10' x 4-6', leaves have sharp edges, sun, drought tolerant. Zones 8 to 10.
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The Rocket leopard plant Ligularia stenocephala ‘The Rocket’, herbaceous perennial, 3-5'x2'4', part shade to shade, tolerates wet soil. Zones 4 to 8.
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Doubledecker purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea 'Doubledecker', herbaceous perennial, 2-2.5', sun to light shade, butterflies, drought tolerant. Zones 3 to 9.
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Sneezeweed, Helenium 'Rubinzwerg', herbaceous perennial, sun, 2' x 18", butterflies. Zones 4 to 9.
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Elecampane, Inula helenium, herbaceous perennial, 3-6' x 2-3', sun to light shade. Zones 3 to 7
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Monarda didyma, scarlet bee balm, herbaceous perennial, 2'-4' x 3', sun to light shade, attracts hummingbirds, butterflies. Zones 4 to 9.
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Mimosa, Albizia julibrissin, deciduous tree, 16'-40', fragrant pompom flowers, sun, drought tolerant, attracts butterflies. Zones 6 to 9.
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Goldsturm black-eyed susans, (Rudbeckia fulgida), herbaceous perennial, 2 ft, sun, part shade, Zones 4 to 9.
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Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, deciduous tree-like shrub growing to 12 ft, Zones 5-8. Best in full sun.
Oxalis triangularis papilionacea, purple shamrock, perennial bulb, part shade to shade, 6"-12" x 12"-24", attracts butterflies. Zones 6 to 11.
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Pink Beauty cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa 'Pink Beauty), 2 to 3 ft tall and wide, full sun, part shade. Zones 3 to 8.
Flower Carpet Coral groundcover rose, deciduous shrub, 24’-32” x 40” wide. Sun to part shade, disease resistant, few thorns, little pruning needed. No fragrance. Zones 5 to 11.
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Collect seeds
The elegant seed head from Johnson's Blue cranesbill geranium.
Collect Seeds: Wait until seed heads have turned brown before harvesting. Collect them when they are dry to prevent mould. Be careful to keep stems upright so seeds don’t fall out. Insert seed heads or entire stalks in paper bags and label. Separate seeds from pods, husks and seed heads. Use a sieve or gently blow off any debris. Place the seeds in paper envelopes and label with the plant name and include the year of harvest. Store in a dry, frost free location. Easy ones to try are sunflowers, petunias, sweet peas, hollyhocks, lupins, nasturtiums, calendulas, marigolds, zinnias, peas and beans.
Seeds from Lucifer montbretia (Crocosmia) are held in capsules.
Lawn Care for August
It's easy to see that grass cut at a longer length is much healthier than shorter grass on the right.
Follow these easy steps to keep your grass as healthy.
Darn Drought!Click here to go to the main article on Drought.
Veggies just don't taste as good if they don't receive adequate water.
Plants struggle when there’s not enough water to keep them from functioning properly. It’s difficult to keep them happy with water restrictions and thirsty plants are much more susceptible to insects and diseases. Water is a precious resource and we have to make the most of what we have, so that means we have to garden in a more sustainable manner. Here’s a few tips to keep plants healthy while preserving our precious resource:
Add Organic Matter: Compost, leaf mold, well-rotted, composted manure and other organic matter to the soil and mix it in a couple of inches. Organic matter acts like a sponge keeping soil wetter for longer. It also opens up clay soil and bulks up sandy soil. Compost is a good thing – a very good thing indeed. For more on soil building click here. Add Mulch: Any moisture in the soil quickly evaporates when the soil is left bare. Either cover the soil with plants, including groundcovers, or add nature's blanket. Add a 3 inch layer of an organic mulch on top of the soil between plants. Soak the soil (and weed) and water plants before placing the mulch. It has to be 3 inches deep in order for it to be effective. The mulch holds in soil moisture so it doesn’t evaporate and as an added bonus it deters weeds. Don’t put fabric under the mulch as it defeats its purpose. Avoid Rock Mulches: Rocks reduce evaporation slightly, but they are not as efficient and beneficial as an organic mulch. Rocks don’t insulate the soil either, like rock mulch. They stay hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Water Properly: Water plants thoroughly. Long deep soaks once a week results in long roots that survive environmental stresses such as heat and drought. A little bit of water causes more harm than good as it promotes shallow roots, which succumb to the trials and tribulations of temperature extremes. Since dry soil sucks away any available moisture, water the plants and the soil between the plants. This keeps the ground wetter for longer.
Timing: Water early in the morning not at night. You can water later in the day, but do it so they are dry by nightfall. Try not to plant new plants including lawns during the summer. It is just too difficult to maintain soil moisture for plants to successfully become established into their new home. Autumn is the best time to plant as it’s rainy, the soil is warm and the air is cool. The other best time to plant and transplant is early spring. Wait until the ground no longer drips water when squeezed.
Wilting plants? Use a trowel or shovel to see if the ground is moist. Maybe you are not watering enough. Most sprinklers should be left on for 30 minutes minimum. Plants also wilt if the soil is saturated, so do dig down and check to make sure there is adequate drainage. When plants wilt in the heat of the day prop up a tarp, sheet or umbrella to act as a screen to shade them from the hot sun. Probably would be a good idea to consider moving the plant in the fall to a shadier location. Planting: The best time to plant is fall and early spring, this includes lawns too. It’s just too hot and dry in the summer. For more on how to plant click here. When: Early morning is best, followed by late in the day but before it gets dark. Avoid watering when it’s windy and in the heat of the day. Drought Tolerant Plants: There are many plants that are suitable for dry soil. The key to their success is to water them when they are first planted so their roots become established into the surrounding soil. Just because they are drought tolerant doesn’t mean they don’t need to be watered. Collect Water: Rain barrels are a great idea, especially when rain water is directed from the house gutters to a downspout. Instead of water going down the drains, collect water in a bucket while you shower. Use the dirty dishwater by washing the dishes in a tub in the sink, then toss it onto the garden. 
Place soaker hoses close together.
Drip and Soaker Hoses: Drip systems are excellent for planters, but not ideal for gardens. They only wet a very small area so they must be placed strategically next to the plant. Check to see the pattern of wetness and adjust the time so the It does nothing to help the soil ecology so a good 3 inches of mulch is essential to preserve any soil moisture. Soaker hoses seep moisture into the soil, but as with drip systems the moisture doesn’t spread far and wide. Place the hoses close together for more effective wetting.
Please Don't Let Me Dry OUt!
A wilting horsechesnut looks quite sad.
Basil: Remove leaves as needed. To keep plants bushy and to prolong their life, remove the flower buds as soon as they form. Don't store in the fridge. Treat them as a cut flower and put cut stems into a vase of water. This stunning red variety is called Red Rubin.
When To Harvest FruitApples: should easily fall into your hand when twisted.
Blackberries: plump, shiny and black, not dull or reddish. Blueberries: plump, firm uniform dark blue with powdery white coating that fall off when held. Cantaloupes: should be yellow or cream colour, make a hollow sound when tapped, fragrant, the blossom end (not the stem end) should be spongy. Cherries: plump, firm, glossy, rich colour for the variety, fragrant. Figs: the tree’s sap is an irritant so wear long sleeves and gloves when picking. Figs hang down when ripe and should be slightly squishy. Pears: stay green and hard even when ripe but will be fragrant, and stem end should yield when pressed. Plums: retain flavour if left on the tree to ripen. Should yield to pressure when squeezed and will drop easily from the tree. Pumpkins, Squashes: they are ripe when the skin hardens and it is difficult to pierce with your fingernail. Raspberries: fragrant, firm – not mushy, uniform in colour, easily removed. Watermelon: makes a dull, hollow sound when tapped. Pick when plants turn brown and the stem curls. Tomato Taming
Cut off overly long tomato stems to tame them and to encourage faster ripening of the remaining fruit.
Vine (indeterminate) tomatoes grow so tall they are impossible to support and harvest. Even bush type (determinate) tomatoes can become unruly. To tame them and encourage faster ripening do some gentle pruning. Cut overly long stems back to a leaf and keep pinching out any suckers that try to take over. After pruning them back give them a nice long drink.
Water tomatoes frequently to prevent cracked fruit and blossom end rot. Thoroughly water the soil around the plant, not just the plant. Avoid giving tomatoes too much nitrogen. It results in too much foliage, huge plants and low yields. It also encourages tender growth that is prone to insects and diseases. Yellow tomato plants need food, especially if your soil is poor and you haven’t added compost or plant food. Organic fertilizers provide plants with nutrients and other goodies. Survey your garden centre for organic options such as kelp, compost tea bags and other organic goodies. Many tomato plants will start to decline this time of the year. They are prone to many diseases including blights and verticillium wilt. To learn more click here. 
A Black Krim tomato became so tall it overshot their cage then collapsed. I now cut back extra stems and ones that are difficult to control.
To tame tomato plants and to hasten ripening, snip off the ends of a tomato stem above a leaf, flower cluster or node.
Harvest peaches when there's no green on the fruit. They should smell fragrant and easily fall from the tree. They should be slightly squishy and not rock hard.
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August Garden Chores
Yellow polka dot flowers of the wildflower tansy, Tanacetum vulgare.
Please note that coloured text are linked to another page on this website or another website. Most of the pictures are also linked and will redirect you if you click on them.
Inspections: Daily walks around the garden catches problems before they become issues. Watch for wilting plants, overcrowding, insect infestations, weeds, sickly plants and ones that need their spent flowers removed.
Sickly Plants: If plants are not doing well, check the soil for moisture by digging down with a trowel. The soil should be moist all the way down to the roots, not just the soil surface. Water: Don’t forget to water shrubs, trees, including street trees. Mulch: To reduce watering and weeding, add a 3 inch layer of an organic mulch on top of your soil and around the plants. Stake: Continue to stake plants as they grow and remove them once they are no longer needed. Taming Plants: Cut back offending branches from bulky shrubs and perennials that have overgrown their spaces and are overcrowding their smaller neighbours. Take note of plants that should be moved in autumn. 
Deadhead Annuals: Keep bedding plants (petunia etc.) flowering by removing their spent blossoms. Use scissors to cut off the dead flowers as well as part of the stem to encourage more stems. Follow up with some fertilizer and water.
Cuttings from Annuals: Take herbaceous cuttings from annuals now so you can over-winter them as houseplants and use them as bedding plants next year: impatiens, coleus, petunias and geraniums. Learn more click here.
Cuttings from Shrubs, Trees & Vines: Take semi-hardwood cuttings from stems with a woody base and soft green tops ex: hydrangea, camellia, Mexican mock orange (Choisya), California lilac (Ceonothus), heather, hebe, mahonia, viburnum, magnolia, conifers, jasmine, passion flower. If in doubt, experiment and take as many cuttings from as many plants as you like. Learn more click here. 
Take semi-hardwood cuttings from stems with a woody base and soft top.
Deadhead Perennials & Summer Bulbs: Remove spent flowers so plants don’t waste their resources (unless you want to save their seeds), ex: delphiniums, sages, veronicas, dahlias, callas, cannas, gladiolus, phlox, lupine.
Dead head perennials unless you want to collect the seeds. These brown flute shaped capsules hold many small black delphinium seeds.
Wilted raspberries: If it’s just some of the shoot tips that are wilting, it’s not a lack of water, it’s more likely raspberry crown borer. Infested canes have two rings where the adult crown borer deposited her eggs. Remove part of the stem between the two rings and throw it out. If not removed, the larvae migrates down to the plant’s base. Infested canes break easily and die following year. Since the pupa overwinters in the soil, it is important to remove affected canes asap.
Weeding: Keep on weeding, as you know that this garden chore never really ends. Water the ground first to make it easier. To control bindweeds and horsetails, click here. 
Ponds: Thin out plant growth and remove any leaf litter, algae and other organic debris. Replenish water that has evaporated in ponds and water gardens.
Birdies: Not only are birdbaths a life-saver for our fine feathered friends, they are a great garden accent. An shallow tray of water is a great alternative. Just remember to replenish water as needed.
Lawns: Keep lawns long at 3 to 4 inches to keep the soil and grass cooler. It also reduces evaporation and provides more food for the wee grass plants. Compost: Turn the compost pile and add water as needed. If the pile is too wet and there are fungus gnats add torn strips of newspaper and mix in. Top with another layer of the torn newspaper. Record: This is a good time to assess your garden, to make notes, and take a few photos. Note areas that you are not happy with, plants that need to be transplanted elsewhere, overcrowded beds, beds that are too sparse, areas that lack flowers and seasonal interest. Lots can be done next month through fall such as moving plants to more suitable locations. There is no need to wait for spring as autumn is the best time of the year for such garden tasks. 
Once lettuce 'bolted' by elongating and producing flowers, their leaves taste bitter.
Bolted Plants: If you need the space in your veggie garden remove leafy and root vegetables that are flowering (bolting) and compost or discard them as they are no longer tasty: lettuce, bulb fennel, beets, radish, and carrots. If space is not an issue, leave the flowers for honey bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Powdery Mildew: It’s the time of the year when cucumbers, garden phlox, tomatoes and other prone plants turn from healthy green to powdery white sickly things. To learn how to control this insidious disease click here. 
Powdery mildew is caused by dry soil, moisture on the foliage and poor air circulation.
When to Harvest Veggies
Beans: Pick before the beans inside start to swell and become obvious. Beans give numerous harvests when picked often however they will become tough and tasteless as they age.
Asparagus: Don’t harvest spears on plants less than 3 years old. Harvest in spring when spears are 6 inches with tightly closed tips.
Cucumbers, zucchinis: Pick when they are young and still sweet and crisp. Beets, Cucumbers, Eggplants: Small ones are sweetest! Broccoli: Ultimately the heads should be dark, blue-green with closed buds, but even when the buds start to open, they are still tasty. Their open flowers look and taste great in salads. Just remove the heads to harvest as the plant will produce more broccoli heads. Brussel Sprouts: They taste best after a frost. Harvest individual sprouts from the bottom of the stalk first. Carrots: Best when young and when their orange shoulders appear. Cauliflower: Pick when the heads are white, tight & compact before the florets separate. To promote white heads, bend their leaves over top of the heads as soon as they form to keep them white. Check them daily as those heads mature fast. Corn: Husks should be green with dry, brown silks attached. A milky liquid should ooze out when the kernels are pierced. Malformed and missing kernels are often caused by drought. Garlic, Onions, Shallots: Remove flowers (use them in stir-fries) when they appear to encourage larger bulbs. Harvest when the tops turn yellow and they fall over. Herbs: To dry basil and other herbs, harvest by picking them early in the day after the morning dew has dried then hang them upside down in a dry location out of direct sun. Parsnips: Wait to harvest after a few frosts for best flavour. Peas: Pick when pods are green and before they go a dull, pale green. Potatoes: Once the plants have died back avoid watering them for two weeks. This hardens their skin so they store better and for longer. Use a fork to gently lift them from the ground. Rub the soil off with your hands, then store them in paper bags in a cool and dark room. Discard any that are diseased and don’t store those that have been damaged when harvested, but do eat them asap. Root Crops: Most root crops that have already been planted will continue to size up, and can remain in your garden through winter. Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, leeks and onions planted in well-drained soils are, perhaps, better left in the soil for harvesting as you need them. Parsnips, in particular, improve in flavour with a few light frosts. Tomatoes: pick before they get too ripe. Don’t store in the fridge as it impairs flavour. Zucchini & Yellow Squash: Pick when young at 4 inches. 
Peppers: Green peppers are not ripe. Pick when they are yellow, orange or red as they are sweeter and more flavourful.
Winter Veggies
Sow cool crops now for harvesting in fall through winter, or buy starter plants from garden centres.
Winter Veggies: Directly sow seeds in the ground or start them in pots so you can fill in the gaps that appear as you harvest your existing crops. Sow seeds of: chard, chicory, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce (best in pots), pak choi, rocket, spinach, turnip, radish, scallions, beets. For more on winter gardening click here.
AUGUST Arrangement
August's flower arrangement includes pink gladiolus, white Bobo Hydrangea and the pink roses are Guy de Maupassant , a floribunda.
To go to the Monthly Arrangement page click here.
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Plant of the month
Japanese Anemones, A. hupehensis, A. tomentosa & hybrids
The pure white flower of Honorine Jobert Japanese anemone.
The pink Japanese anemone, A. tomentosa ‘Robustissima’
Japanese anemones bear many flowers on long willowy stems.
Bressingham Glow Japanese anemone have double deep pink flowers.
Bressingham Glow doesn't get as tall as other Japanese anemones.
Round flower buds are soon to pop open.
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Common Name: Japanese anemone,windflower,
Botanical Name: Anemone hupehensis and A. tomentosa Form: upright stems from a basal clump Family: Ranunculaceae Genus: Anemone Species: hupehensis, tomentosa Plant Type: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial Mature Size: 2-2 ½’ Origin: China Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8 Foliage: dark green serrated leaves in 3 parts Flowers: August to October, flower stems rise well above the foliage to 30”, 5-7 showy, rounded, fragrant, white pinkish-white to pale rose-mauve tepals (modified petals) surround a green 'button' centre, which is surrounded by a ring of yellow stamens. Exposure: full sun to part shade, best in part shade Soil: moist soil with good drainage best Uses: borders, cottage gardens, woodlands, butterflies, deer, rabbit resistant, seaside Propagation: division, root cuttings Pruning: cut flowering stems back to their base after flowering Problems: may need staking, mildews, caterpillars, rust, Septoria leaf spot, poisonous if ingested, forms colonies Comments: Flowering period last for three months from August through October. Elegant stems topped with simple flowers, 2 to 3 inch wide, that rise well above the foliage. Prefers moist soil and doesn't like to dry out. Naturalizes by rhizomes spreading underground. Colonies will spread faster if dug up and disturbed. Can become aggressive. Divide in early spring or after flowering. Salt resistant. Eating may cause stomach upset if ingested. Might cause mild skin irritation when touched.
Japanese anemones have attractive serrated and divided foliage.
Anemone flowers are fragrant and attract many pollinators.
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Honorine Jobert
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A ‘Robustissima’, pink anemone.
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Pink Japanese anemones, ‘Robustissima’.
Landscape Job Postings
For landscapers looking for work and landscape companies looking to hire.
If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings. Landscapers, post your contact info here.
If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings. Landscapers, post your contact info here.
THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX
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Container Growing 101Monthly Flower Arrangements
Growing Roses Introduction Mulching & Types Introduction |
for the tropical Gardener
While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here.
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