August in the Garden

Posted by maureen

August 3, 2007 |

It always seems as if there is a lull in activity for gardeners in August. The weather is hot and dry here and I’m no longer concentrating on planting but rather on keeping plants, shrubs and trees alive and healthy. It is a good time though to take stock of your plants and make a mental note about which plants look ragged and overgrown and how plants have done in their present positions. The great thing about gardening is that it’s like a room that you can change furniture around to improve its look. Plants are very forgiving!

Which Plants Need Dividing

Most perennials should be divided every few years to keep them healthy. This is great for increasing your stock or alternatively to give to friends and neighbors. The best time to divide plants is early fall to mid fall so that they have enough time to settle before the ground freezes although they can also be divided in early spring. So take a good look around the garden now and decide which plants need or would benefit from dividing. I have Asters and Day lilies that I have divided many times and have lots of new plants from the original purchase.

Which plants need to be repositioned.

Most gardeners at some time or another have chosen places that are far from ideal for their plants. Usually it means that we have the plants in a position that either has too much sun or too little and that is easy to remedy. I moved two peonies last fall that weren’t getting enough sun and just weren’t thriving. I repositioned them to the front of the house where they received more sun and they responded with beautiful full foliage and blooms this year. The other issue can be there are too large or too small for their present place in the yard. I’ve underestimated the height of some plants and they’ve ended up dwarfing smaller plants or getting lost amongst taller flowers. Again, repositioning them is a simple remedy, just remember to wait for early fall to midfall or early spring

What a difference a couple of months make! it’s always hard to imagine how big the plants will get and how well they will fill the pots and planters .