My top five gardening jobs this August.

With upcoming holidays and warm, dry weather, now is the time to ensure that your garden can get througn the Summer looking it's best. Here's my top five jobs to keep you busy in the garden this August.

Rosa Veilchenblau in my N12 Dog Friendly Garden

1. Prune Rambling Roses

Now is the time to prune rambling roses. If they have filled their alloted space then remove 1/3 of the oldest stems completely. In restricted space prune out all the stems that have flowered and tie in new ones. Shorten side shoots by 2/3.

2. Take softwood cuttings from Penstemons

Penstemon 'Raven' cuttings from my garden

Take softwood cuttings from Penstemons. Choose a non flowering stems and cut about 10 - 15cm then remove the bottom leaves. Put in the side of a pot in a gritty compost. The images above show ones I've taken a few weeks ago.

3. Summer Prune trained apples and pears

Espalier Apple Tree in my E11 Industrial Style Family Garden

Summer prune trained apples and pears now.

1. Cut back new shoots to 3 leaves but don't prune new shoots shorter than 20cm as they usually have fruit buds.

2. Cut back new shoots growing from existing side shoots to one leaf above a basal cluster (3/4 leaves growing closely together at the base of this season's growth.

3. Remove any vigorous upright growth.

4. Dead head flowers

Geranium Rozanne, Verbena bonariensis and Echinachea Purpurea in my E11 Naturalistic Planting Design

Dead head flowers like Geraniums, Echinachea and Salvias to keep the blooms coming.

5. Top up ponds and water features

Water can evaporate very quickly in this heat so make sure that you top up the pond, ideally with rainwater.

Wildlife pond in my garden

Happy Gardening!