Gardening
Features
Garden tasks for August
Hone your hedges, give your pond some TLC and plant your spring bulbs, advises Martyn Cox
If you've only got 30 minutes
To keep evergreen hedges looking good over winter, give them a quick trim now. Over the summer months, box, privet, laurel and other hedging plants will have put on lots of growth, turning a crisp formal outline into a shaggy eyesore.
Using a pair of hand shears or a powered hedge trimmer, start by cutting the top of hedge flat and then trim the sides, ensuring that the top is narrower than the base. Use a string attached to canes as a cutting guide or step back regularly to check your progress.
If you've only got 20 minutes
Spend a few minutes giving your pond some TLC. During hot, dry spells the level is likely to drop, so top up with water if necessary. While you are there, twirl off blanket weed that may have formed on the surface with a garden cane and tidy up plants by removing dying flowers and dead leaves.
Apart from improving its looks, this will prevent debris from adding nutrients to the water, resulting in the growth of algae. If you have fish in the pond, it is important to keep the water well-oxygenated - check filters for blockages.
If you've only got 10 minutes
Colchicums, also known as autumn crocus, are sophisticated bulbs for adding delicate splashes of colour to border during September and October - plant now, 10cm deep, in a sunny spot.
Now is also a great time to place an order with a specialist supplier for spring flowering bulbs. These can be planted in the next few weeks and the best varieties often sell out quickly.
