Despite the lingering heat, August is far from a quiet month for garden bulbs. It’s actually a key moment: some need dividing, others are finishing their bloom and need a little care, and it’s already time to think about spring planting. Here are four tasks not to miss this month.
Divide your bearded iris
About six to eight weeks after flowering, clumps of bearded iris start to lose vigour at the centre. August is the ideal time to lift them, separate the leaf fans with a healthy rhizome and a few roots, then replant shallowly, with the rhizome half-exposed, in full sun. Trim the fan-shaped foliage back before replanting to limit water loss.
Thin out crowded agapanthus clumps
If your agapanthus are flowering less generously each year, their clumps are probably too crowded. Use the end of the bloom to spot the plants that need dividing in autumn: mark them now, the job will be easier once temperatures drop.
Pamper dahlias and gladioli still in bloom
Dahlias and gladioli are at their best this season. Deadhead regularly to extend flowering, keep watering steadily at the base without wetting the foliage, and check the stakes on the tallest stems, which summer winds often knock about.
Plan ahead for narcissi and tulips
The best selection of spring bulbs sells out fast: now is the time to choose your narcissi and tulips for autumn, even though planting won’t happen until October or November. Reserve them now and keep them cool and dry until the right time comes.
A little organisation in August pays off once the fine days return, with strong bulbs and a spring bloom you can count on.