August Gardening To-Do List: Planning, Planting, Maintenance

With the cooler weather upon us, it's time to get outside and prepare your garden for the onset of Autumn. Maybe you haven't spent that much time in the garden over the past few weeks, with kids getting ready to go back to school, or you have managed to get away and spend some time on holiday! There are a lot of little jobs that need to be completed to get your garden ready for Autumn. Autumn is a great time to plant trees and shrubs, cut back perennials, remove annuals and get your lawn healthy for next spring. Remember to keep watering! Trees and shrubs that are deprived of water now will be easily stressed in the winter. Below is a handy guide to Autumn clean up tasks: August:

• Collect seed and herbs for drying.
• Add compost or manure to garden beds.
• Cover water features with netting to collect falling leaves.
• Check houseplants for pests, then start to move indoors.
• Plant new trees and shrubs, to give them at least six weeks before frost.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs.
• Clean bird feeders, gardening tools.
• Continue watering trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.
• Bring in any clay pots that are not frostproof.
• Pull weeds before they go to seed to reduce the number of weeds next year.
• Fertilize your lawn.

Please call into the Garden Pavilion and I would be delighted to help you with any autumn gardening questions :) Justin Smyth Horticulturalist at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion