With August drawing to a close, there are still three useful jobs worth completing in the garden this weekend before autumn arrives. From selective deadheading and mulching borders to collecting seeds for next year, these simple tasks can encourage more flowers, help plants cope with dry conditions and prepare your garden for the months ahead.
1. Deadhead for more late-summer blooms
Do you want to encourage more flowers in your garden before autumn? Deadheading is one of the simplest jobs to do now, helping to extend the flowering season.
Remove spent flowers on plants such as roses, cosmos, dahlias, salvias and rudbeckias to encourage further blooms. 'Deadhead the obvious flowers that are in full view and where you can appreciate them so they keep blooming,' says Antony Henn, garden designer and owner of Garden on a Roll.
But, if you want to collect your own seed, resist the urge to deadhead every flower. 'Leave some flowers to set seed in a place that is less obvious,' Antony adds.
2. Collect mature seeds for next year
Late August is a good time to look out for mature seed pods, which can help you grow more flowers in next year’s garden without buying additional plants.
Keep an eye on annuals such as cosmos and tobacco plants, which can produce plenty of seed. When the flowers have faded, look for a bulbous base or seed pod. Once it is mature, snip off the seed head and place it in a paper bag, then store it somewhere cool and dark.
The seeds can then be sown onto seed compost in February or March, giving you a head start on next year’s flowers.
3. Mulch borders to retain moisture
Mulching borders now can help protect plants after a hot, dry summer while also preparing the garden for autumn and winter. Add a layer of compost, soil conditioner or fine bark around struggling plants, taking care not to cover the stems.
'Mulching borders now will also help retain moisture, suppress weeds and protect tender bulbs and roots as the weather begins to turn, giving gardens the best possible start heading into the colder months ahead,' says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
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