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Pacific Northwest Gardener's August Checklist
Deadheading perennials, cutting raspberry canes and preparing for the onion harvest keeps Northwest gardeners busy in August
I'm a landscape designer and garden writer living in the coastal Pacific Northwest, and my blog is www.NorthCoastGardening.com. I also write regularly for Fine Gardening Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, Proven Winners Plants, and Landscaping Network.
I'm a landscape designer and garden writer living in the coastal Pacific... More »
If the Northwest hasn't seen sunny skies and dry summer weather yet, we certainly will in August. This is the month when the ground starts to bake, and it's easy to become concerned that our plants won't tolerate the yearly cycle of drought as well.
Yet August's dry weather actually is necessary for many plants to make a successful transition between seasons. Spring bulbs require that baking-hot soil to go 100 percent dormant and prepare for next year's bloom. Pears, peaches, plums and apples all need the extra boost of dry heat to ripen well. And onion crops, just like spring bulbs, take energy from their foliage this month to create those savory staples of the kitchen.
Tasks in ornamental gardens include staking dahlias and other flowers to prevent flopping, removing spent flowers from roses and perennials, and cutting back daylilies that have gone summer dormant.
In the fruit and veggie garden, now's the time to begin removing fruited canes from raspberries and thinning the patch. It's also time to stop watering onions so they will go dormant and set a good crop. And August is a great time to check out what's blooming at the nursery. Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a colorful evergreen bloomer that does a great job filling in the time between the intermittent blooms of summer-flowering perennials.
Yet August's dry weather actually is necessary for many plants to make a successful transition between seasons. Spring bulbs require that baking-hot soil to go 100 percent dormant and prepare for next year's bloom. Pears, peaches, plums and apples all need the extra boost of dry heat to ripen well. And onion crops, just like spring bulbs, take energy from their foliage this month to create those savory staples of the kitchen.
Tasks in ornamental gardens include staking dahlias and other flowers to prevent flopping, removing spent flowers from roses and perennials, and cutting back daylilies that have gone summer dormant.
In the fruit and veggie garden, now's the time to begin removing fruited canes from raspberries and thinning the patch. It's also time to stop watering onions so they will go dormant and set a good crop. And August is a great time to check out what's blooming at the nursery. Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a colorful evergreen bloomer that does a great job filling in the time between the intermittent blooms of summer-flowering perennials.
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| Stake flopping perennials. Dahlia (Dahlia cvs.), Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), Sedum (Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is shown) and other tall bloomers often need help to stay upright in late summer, as their blooms can be heavier than their stems can bear. Plant stakes and supports can be incredibly helpful in keeping your plants from flopping or even breaking under the weight of summer blossoms. These elegant English Y-stakes from aHa! Modern Living are strong enough to support plants, yet attractive enough to leave in the garden year-round if desired. |
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| Remove spent flowers. Keep on deadheading roses, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum), dahlias and other summer-flowering plants. By removing spent flowers, you encourage the plant to continue setting new buds and put energy into blooms for the rest of the summer. As plants begin to lose steam, a dose of organic fertilizer can help keep them going strong. Choose one labeled for flowering plants; it will have exactly the right nutrients to stimulate more blooms, rather than just foliage. |
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| Groom daylilies as needed. Some types of daylily (Hemerocallis cvs.) go dormant in summer, particularly in gardens where they aren't watered regularly. If your daylily is looking more brown than green, you have two options: painstakingly pick out all the brown foliage and hope the plant fills in, or just cut the whole thing down to the ground. When pruned to the ground in summer, daylilies grow back as soon as cool temperatures resume and will often give a lovely fall season of color. |
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| Thin raspberries and begin onion harvesting. Now is also the time of year to care for some of your edible plants. Prune out any canes on your raspberry plants that have fruited, as the canes are most productive on their first year of fruit production. Simply cut the fruited stems to the ground once they're done bearing for the year. Onions can also use some attention right now, or rather, a lack of it. Stop watering onions when their stems turn yellow to force them into dormancy, and push the stems over to the ground to begin their ripening process. Leave them for about 10 days, then dig them up (stems intact) and let them dry in a warm, airy location until the stems have shriveled and the skins are papery and shiny. |
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| Pick out new plants. August often marks a pause point in the garden between the first flush of summer blooms and the late summer show of reblooming perennials. If your garden is looking drab, head out to the nursery and pick up a few Scotch heathers (Calluna vulgaris 'Long White' is shown). The wide variety of foliage and bloom colors fit into every garden, and they're freshly in bloom so you can choose the colors that work for you. Another great plant for this time of year is the new Encore Azalea, a reblooming Azalea that just keeps going. While it has the traditional spring flowers we expect from an Azalea, it also blooms through late summer/early fall. If your garden needs something taller than a 2-foot heather, an Encore Azalea could fill the bill. While August's dry heat can be worrying for gardeners, just remember it's a natural part of our climate and a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the warmth. More: Planting guides for your Northwest garden Browse flowers, plants and garden design ideas |
Ideabook published on July 27, 2012.
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Genevieve, I would love to see photos of your Joe Pye Weed. I bought an extremely root-bound, un-labeled plant at a closing-out sale in June, thought it might be butterfly-bush or a viburnum. After transplanting it into a large patio container, and carefully nursing it back to life through the hot summer we've had here in N. Tennessee, I've identified it as Joe Pye.
It lost most of its original leaves, which were affected by spider-mites, but I've hand-picked off most of the mite webs, shaded it from direct sun for the first month or so, kept it moist and set it out in the rain to wash off any remaining mites. It is now about 4 feet high, putting out fresh new leaves and blooms and can withstand the morning sun as long as it's kept moist. I clipped back the mature flower-heads to give the plant more vigor to give to the roots and leaves.
Next to the JPW is a "Diamond Frost" Euphorbia graminea. Also new to me, it is a fabulous plant, and was a 2010 annual of the year selection for the Georgia Gold Medal plants program. It is called an annual, but I understand that it can be perennial if taken indoors to protect from freezing. It is a fabulous plant and I have seen pics of it forming a cloud of tiny white blooms around a hanging basket.
I've also attached a pic of a japanese maple (acer palmatum var. atropurpureum) which I got at the same plant sale and was in very poor condition, but is gradually coming back. I know that the NW is an almost perfect climate for Japanese maples.
Thanks for your lovely garden blog - although we have a different climate, it is inspiring to see your beautiful garden plants and shoot for their perfection!
Yes, we do a great job with Japanese maples here in the NW. Good on you for bringing yours back around.
Thanks so much for your kind words! :)
Thanks for the photo of the Joe Pye Weed, I hope mine is that full and thickly blooming next year. Since they are native plants, they are survivors, but I read that they thrive best in moist prairie soils near water sources, etc. From what I've heard, the NW has had an unusually hot summer and that one is showing the stress, in it's yellowing leaves, but it is a magnicificent plant that well pays garderners back and I hope more people use them!.
You have one of my dream careers; unfortunately, due to back problems, I'm unable to do heavy work in the landscape. I'm proud of myself for getting a few sunflowers, morning glories and snapbeans to grow in some small beds in the heavy clay soil of my rented cottage!
You're right about the JPW being a magnet for wildlife, the butterflies and bees love them.
Keep up the great articles!