The Gardener's Journal is a free monthly gardening guide delivered direct to your inbox.

Each month, receive tips on the top jobs needed in your garden as well as a wealth of information on a range of gardening topics. From sowing seeds to picking fruit, each month get access to information on the care and maintenance of your flowerbeds, vegetable plot and lawn. As with your own gardening diary, the journal is split into separate sections, each covering a different area of garden care.

Tuesday 3 August 2021

This Month in Your Garden - August

Summer’s lease hath all too short a date. William Shakespeare.

August is officially the last month of summer and we want to cling to our enjoyment of the garden in the warmth it brings. There is certainly plenty to get on with as we soak up the sun and, at the end of the day, we’re allowed to be languorous as we admire our work. 

The Lawncare Guide - August

Top dressing for a tip-top lawn

Historically, top dressing has been carried out as part of the autumn lawn renovation or in spring so why would we do it in August?. Well, if the lawn has suffered hard wear during the summer and is showing lumps, bumps and stress through drought and hard play, you can treat it to a top dressing. Ideally, you should aerate and scarify first as this helps the dressing key into the surface and get into the soil below.

Lawn Care: Questions & Answers

Q. Our lawn has suffered from drought and the kids playing football and other games on it. What should we do to help it recover?

The Vegetable Plot - August

 Harvest and grow 

There should be plenty to harvest this month. Second early potatoes will be ideal for salads and maincrop potatoes will be ready when the leaves turn yellow. You can store potatoes in hessian sacks which allow ventilation but exclude light. Lift and dry onions, shallots and garlic when the foliage yellows and flops over. Harvest French and runner beans to stop them running to seed.

The Big Glut - August

 Grilled chicken thighs with sweet potato wedges, courgettes and feta

Ingredients 

  • 4 free-range skin-on chicken thighs, skin slashed
  • 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges (skin on)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
  • 2 large courgettes, sliced lengthways into 0.5cm thick strips (or 6-8 baby courgettes, halved)
  • Small bunch basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
  • Small bunch coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • 30g pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 garlic clove
  • 25g parmesan, finely grated
  • Grated zest and juice 1 lemon
  • 80g feta, crumbled