What to Do in Your Garden in August
August is one of the best months to enjoy your garden. Borders are full, the bees are busy, evenings are long and there’s still plenty of summer left to enjoy. (I, for one, hate it when people start saying that summer is over in August! Maybe because it’s my birthday at the end of the month).
However, there are a few important garden jobs to do in August that will keep your garden looking its best and help prepare it for autumn.
From watering and deadheading to collecting seeds and planning next year’s planting, here are 10 things to do in your garden this August.
10 Garden Jobs for Late Summer
1. Water your garden deeply
If you also live in the South of England, like me, it’s been a long, hot and dry summer so far and therefore watering should be high on your list of August garden jobs.
Newly planted trees and shrubs, containers, hanging baskets and vegetable beds are particularly vulnerable to drying out.
Rather than giving plants a quick sprinkle every day, aim to water thoroughly and less frequently. A good soak encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil and helps plants cope better with dry conditions.
Water early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler and evaporation is lower.
If you have a water butt, I’m keen to know if there’s any water left in there by now? If so, use it!!
2. Deadhead summer flowers
Deadheading is one of the easiest garden maintenance jobs in August and can make a surprisingly big difference.
Removing faded flowers encourages many plants to produce more blooms, helping to extend the flowering season well into late summer.
Look out for roses, dahlias, cosmos and other repeat-flowering plants.
However, don't automatically cut everything back.
Some seedheads are beautiful in their own right and provide food for birds later in the year. Alliums, fennel, teasels and ornamental grasses can all add structure and interest as summer starts to fade.
If you’re still fairly new to your garden, you may experiment with what to remove and what to leave at this point. Good garden design is often about knowing what to remove — and what to leave alone. It can take a few years to get to grips with this part.
3. Look after your pots and containers
Container plants can dry out much faster than plants growing in the ground, particularly during warm weather.
Check pots regularly and give them a thorough watering when needed.
August is also a good time to:
Remove faded flowers
Cut away damaged leaves
Check plants for pests
Feed flowering plants
Move vulnerable pots out of extreme heat
Make sure containers have adequate drainage
A little attention now can keep your summer container planting looking good well into September.
4. Start planning your autumn planting
I don’t even want to think about September just yet, but as gardeners and garden designers we can’t escape the need to look as far ahead as possible. August really is a great time to start thinking about autumn and winter in the garden.
Walk around your garden and take note of areas that could be improved.
Are there gaps in your borders? Could you add more colour? Do you need some evergreen structure? Are there parts of the garden that feel a little flat?
Take photographs while your garden is looking its best. They'll be super useful when you're planning planting later in the year.
If you're considering a garden redesign, August is also a brilliant month to observe how you actually use your outdoor space.
Where do you sit?
Where does the evening sun fall?
Which areas do you use most?
And which areas do you completely ignore?
These observations are just as important as choosing the plants.
5. Collect seeds from your favourite plants (if you have time to!)
August is a great time to start collecting seeds from some garden plants.
Wait until seedheads have dried and collect them on a dry day. Store them somewhere cool and dry and you can try sowing them later in the year or next spring.
It's an inexpensive way to propagate plants and experiment with your planting.
You can also make a note of plants that have performed particularly well this year. If something has flowered for months, survived a dry spell or looked fantastic with another plant, make a note — you may want more of it next year.
6. Don't cut your lawn too short
Your lawn may be looking less perfectly manicured and more slightly wild meadow by August.
And that's okay.
If the weather is warm and dry, avoid cutting the grass too short. Raising your mower height helps protect the soil from drying out and allows the grass to cope better with heat.
You could also consider leaving a small section of your lawn longer.
Longer grass can provide valuable habitat for insects and wildlife while giving your garden a more relaxed, natural feel. Personally, a love a longer, wilder lawn with mown paths to access different areas of the garden.
The lush stripey green lawn isn't the only option!
7. Check your garden for weeds and pests
Weeds can grow quickly during the summer, so August is a good time to keep on top of them.
You don't need to create a completely weed-free garden. Instead, concentrate on removing weeds that are competing with your plants or setting seed where you don't want them.
It's also worth checking plants for pests and disease.
But remember that a healthy garden should contain plenty of insects. A few holes in a leaf aren't necessarily a disaster.
A garden full of bees, butterflies, beetles and birds is usually a sign of a healthy, living ecosystem.
8. Think about planting for autumn colour
Now is the perfect time to start thinking about how your garden will transition into autumn.
A well-designed garden shouldn't look fantastic for just one month of the year.
Think about plants that offer:
Late-summer flowers
Autumn foliage
Colourful berries
Interesting seedheads
Attractive bark
Evergreen structure
Ornamental grasses, late-flowering perennials and trees with beautiful autumn colour can all help create a garden that changes throughout the seasons.
This is where thoughtful garden design and planting design can make a huge difference.
9. Make your garden work in the evening
August isn't just about gardening — it's about actually using your garden. (Although as an outdoorsy lady I like to actually use it all year around.)
Take a look at your outdoor space once the sun starts to go down.
Could you add some subtle garden lighting? Is there enough sun for solar powered lights to work?
Is there somewhere comfortable to sit?
Would a fire pit make the space more useful?
Could you create a dining area closer to the house?
The best gardens aren't simply beautiful to look at. They're designed around how people live.
A good garden should make you want to stay outside for another glass of wine, another chapter of your book or another hour with the kids.
10. Sit back and enjoy your garden
Possibly the most important August gardening job of all?
Do absolutely nothing.
Make a drink, sit somewhere you don't normally sit and look at your garden from a different perspective.
Notice where the light falls.
Which plants catch your eye?
What can you hear?
Where do you naturally want to sit?
These observations are incredibly useful when thinking about garden design ideas for the future.
Your garden doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to work for you.
August is almost the perfect time to rethink your garden
By August, your garden has revealed exactly what works — and what doesn't.
Maybe the borders are looking fantastic but there's nowhere comfortable to sit.
Maybe the garden gets beautiful evening sun but you never use that part of it.
Maybe you've got plenty of plants but the space still doesn't feel quite right.
These are the things worth noticing.
At Studioisa, we believe great garden design isn't about creating a garden that simply looks good in a photograph. It's about creating an outdoor space that feels good to live in.
Playful planting, strong structure, bold colour and spaces designed around real life — that's where the magic happens.
Thinking about transforming your garden?
Let’s talk about it.
Quick August Garden Checklist
✓ Water deeply during dry weather
✓ Deadhead repeat-flowering plants
✓ Feed and water containers
✓ Collect seeds from favourite plants
✓ Keep an eye on weeds and pests
✓ Don't cut lawns too short
✓ Start planning autumn planting
✓ Look for gaps in your planting
✓ Think about evening lighting and seating
✓ Most importantly — enjoy your garden!
