August in the garden

Last chance in August

These windows are open now and shut at the end of the month. Missing the close of a sowing window usually costs a year rather than a fortnight, which is why they are listed apart from everything else that can be done in August.

Coming up in September

Nothing here can be done yet — these are the windows that open when August ends, worth knowing about now because most of them need something ordered, cleared or prepared first.

• Sow under cover1 plant — lettuce
• Sow outdoors2 plants — broad bean, salad burnet
• Plant51 plants — armand clematis, bay, brunnera, buddleja and others
• Harvest15 plants — chervil, chicory, cotoneaster, crab apple and others
• Prune1 plant — blackberry
• Divide7 plants — bugle, chives, epimedium, garlic chives and others

The whole of September →