With the great winds of change upon us, dare we say the smell of spring approaches! All your hard work this winter will soon pay off as August comes to reward the garden with extraordinary blooms in gorgeous hues for every mood. There’s one more month of cool-season stunners to enjoy with daisy bushes leading the pack. Make sure to tick off your maintenance checklist and begin prepping the lawn for September. Edibles are exciting in August too and there’s much to sow and munch on. Hold onto your hats and let’s glide right in!

Strikingly crazy for daisies

Colour blast your way through the wind and immerse outdoor beds in bold and brave daisy bushes. The vivid variety of daisy blooms will pop off brilliantly against the winter landscape and are simply stand out additions to the  garden. Daisies flourish in containers, beds, and borders that receive full sun. Bushes can be sown and/or planted in autumn for a vibrant August gust of colour. Here are seven striking inspirations:

Although performing best during colder climates, daisy bushes will flower repeatedly throughout the year. If you maintain them well with regular watering, feeding, and deadheading, your garden will be rewarded with near-constant colour and frequent surprises popping up.

More mad blooms to sow now: It’s wakey-wakey to winter beds with marigolds, ageratum, cosmos, lobularia, cleomes, godetias, lavateras, phlox, sunflowers, nicotiana, impatiens and begonia.

Blushing August bulbs to plant now: These summer-flowering bulbs are ready for some rich soil, sun, and water: gladiolus, calla lilies, cannas, spider lilies, George lilies, tuberoses, galtonias, schizostylis, liatris, crocosmias, eucomis, storm lilies, arum lilies, gladiolus and dahlias.

Top tip: Don’t be tempted to cut off the leaves of your spring bulbs just yet. Although they have finished flowering, they need these leaves to make food for the developing bulb.

A rosy reminder: Ensure all roses have been pruned and increase watering. Spray bare stems to kill insect eggs and fungus spores. Relocation and transplanting should also be done now, followed by a good feeding. Visit your GCA Garden Centre for rose care essentials.

In the grow zone

Edibles for sowing from seed packets

• In frost-free areas, sow these summer crops now: runner beans, dwarf beans, maize, sweet corn, pumpkins, and squashes.
• Herbs heralding the spring sunshine: sweet basil, coriander and rocket.

* Remember to harvest your root veggies : parsnips, turnips, beetroot, carrot and radish.

Edibles for growing from seedlings

• Plant out rhubarb, shallots, garlic, globe artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.

*Also remember to top-dress perennial crops such as asparagus.

Motivated maintenance

Lawn loving

• Begin prepping the lawn for spring with topsoil, fertiliser and compost.
• Your pre-spring treatment includes low mowing, firm raking, levelling out, and covering with lawn dressing.
• Sow seeds for shade lawn now.

Wind whirling

• The windy month has arrived. Stake all newly planted trees to prevent toppling and breakages.
• Ensure all creepers are securely supported on trellises and tie-down branches where needed.
• Mulch around your edibles to prevent wind erosion and help retain warmth.

Slug repelling

• Slugs and snails are eager to feast on soft spring plantings. Go to battle by planting barrier plants around new greens.
• Barrier plants include: mint, garlic, chives, geraniums and fennel.
• Goggas are deterred by the pungent smell and taste of these natural pest-repelling plants.

 Ladybugs to the rescue: Our eco-hero of the month is the sweet little ladybug. She may be pretty, but mealybugs, aphids, scale, caterpillars and thrips beware of her deadly munching crunch! These pesky critters are her favourite meals and she’ll make quick work of them too.

Some cold caution: In very cold regions, leave pruning of frost-damaged plants until next month as the affected foliage protects the plant in case of another frostbite attack.

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