August in the Garden
Early August is the time to start cutting back the spent perennials. From this bed I hauled out bins full of Nepeta, Lady's Mantle, and rambling hardy geranium, all going to seed or going brown. The result is not very colorful, but it is more tamed and tidy. You can see the ground, which is OK for August.
Charlie knows there is something stirring down there. Moles are now very active since we are the only green yard around.
Charlie decided to just sit down and enjoy the shade. That red flag below marks a mole trap. Tom is more determined but so far not more successful.
Tom cut out the old canes on the raspberries and got the new canes tied up.
All the beds around the lower lawn got some sprucing up.
There's still plenty of pretty.
Lots more was hauled out of these beds.
The vegetable/cut flower garden is supplying both veggies and bouquets, and the sunflowers are beginning to smile at us.
I did some work today along the path down to the deck.
Tom had rescued some sick heucheras and nursed them along in his little nursery area.
They were ready to be planted. I did some excavating and found room for them.
Tom got the deck swept while I planted and snipped and cleaned out all of the bird baths.
Things are still looking good across the front of the house.
Over by the greenhouse, the tomato plants are huge and tomatoes have been ripening.
Here in the hot part of the yard is where August shows the most.
After our parties were over Tom stopped putting extra water on the grass. The sprinkler system keeps up where it's shady, but here the grass is suffering.
I did a lot of cleaning our here in the rose bed too, and cut the roses back hard. They are beginning to do some re blooming.
Tom did some clipping and deadheading up on the bank. At this point we just want to remove anything that goes brown.
There is still some color from the annuals and phlox.
We spend a lot of time on the patio now. While the view from my chair isn't great on the sunny side
it's quite lovely on the shady side.
And in the middle too.
It's 4:30 on Tuesday, August 13th, and the temperature has just reached 87 degrees. These are the dogs days of summer. Dogs stay in the shade. I will be doing the same. :-)
I was out this morning before it got really hot trying to get some work done on the next bed that I plan to overhaul. But temps in the 80s tend to keep me inside. Your garden looks fabulous after all your hard work, I love seeing your posts full of pictures of your own garden.
ReplyDeleteYour yard and gardens are sure lovey. They are also a lot of work to keep looking like that. We got to 77° and that felt plenty hot to me. I barely can make myself water my flower pots, and the work that you and Tom do makes me feel guilty that I don't do more. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are gorgeous. I also love your beautiful art glass flowers, and the whimsical metal art pieces. I thought at first the big pink long "spikey" flowers were some sort of actual flower and then I saw the blue ones. Are the big "spikey" flowers actual flowers or are they artistic creations by a talented artist. I think they look so pretty among the other flowers. If they are actual flowers, I would love to know what kind. If they are an artist's work I would love to know more about them. I'm heading back to take another tour of your flower gardens, there is so much to see.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a good thing to stay in the shade. Everything is looking ship-shape in your garden.
ReplyDeleteAugust looks pretty darn good in your corner of the world. I remember my husband fighting moles in our yard. He turned into an Elmer Fudd character. The moles did finally move on though.
ReplyDeletehow wonderful to be surrounded by so much beauty!
ReplyDeleteThose traps can't hurt Charlie can they? Pretty sure he isn't a digger. Your garden is just amazing. I would be overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do but you seem to tackle in just the right amount of doses.
ReplyDeleteIt is hot here too and the humidity makes it feel hotter. Our grass looks much like yours right now. We need rain. Your garden looks good for this time of year.
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