::Le Mag Group:: In the garden

In the garden – August, Aug 15

August is the driest month of the year and one in which the garden is often resting and can look a bit jaded.

Thus August can also be a month is which there is not a lot of colour in the garden and it is worth noting if you have gaps that can be filled with autumn or spring planting. There are, of course, some notable exceptions – the trumpet vines (trompettes de Jericho or bignones in French, Campsis in botanical Latin) are looking wonderful this month, and of course the oleanders are in flower. There are many varieties of oleander (Nerium oleander cultivars to be accurate) and they vary in terms of winter hardiness so when buying them do try and get named varieties. The colour range goes from pure white, through cream, pale yellow and salmon to the pinks and reds and many of them also have wonderful scent. Another shrub that is also excellent value during July and August is Vitex agnus-castus, Chaste tree or Monk’s Pepper (Poivrier des Moines in French). The Vitex is a deciduous shrub that can reach three metres. The foliage is attractively divided and aromatic and it has spikes of blue flowers that are very attractive to bees and butterflies. The flowers are followed by aromatic seeds that were apparently once used as a sort of mediaeval bromide. There is also a white form, Vitex agnus-castus alba.

Other plants that are in flower during August include the vivid red carpeting Verbena peruviana, the very drought tolerant shrub Leucophyllum frutescens with pink flowers contrasting beautifully with the silver foliage and for an architectural look try Eryngium giganteum Silver Ghost, one of many ornamental sea hollies that do really well in our climate. There are many more – come and visit the nursery garden, not to buy but to take notes for the future!

Watering and weeding where and when necessary are ongoing tasks, remember that watering a flower bed the evening before weeding will usually make the job easier. Containers and hanging baskets may need watering daily during the very hot period but if you are watering your garden remember that a deep soaking once a week or fortnight is much more effective than frequent sprinkling.

During August think about the following:

• Towards the end of the month divide perennials such as iris and day lilies (Hemerocallis) which will not flower again this year
• Continue deadheading perennials which will repeat flower such as Coreopsis and Rudbeckia to encourage a second flowering. Cut back hardy geraniums to encourage new growth.
• Collect seeds from annuals such as Cosmos and Californian poppies, you can sow these next spring
• Prune early summer flowering shrubs such as Philadelphus.
• Clip back lavenders once they have finished flowering
• Prune wisteria – leave any long stems that you want to encourage to extend the framework of the plant, cut back completely any stems which are totally unwanted and cut back all other stems to two or three buds on each stem
• Clear fallen leaves affected by blackspot from around roses

At La Petite Pépinière we shall be offering gardening courses again during the autumn months, the exact programme will be decided soon and details will be on the website.

And, at Hidden Gardens, Hidden France we are offering a three day tour of gardens in the Cevennes from the 1st to the 3rd September; based in a hotel near Anduze, gardens to be visited will include the famous Bambouseraie de Prafrance, the Jardin des Sambucs, the Jardin du Mas de l’Abri and the Jardin du Tomple – all are gardens which carry the “Jardin Remarquable” label awarded by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. I will be guiding the whole programme so this is a great opportunity to spend three days visiting gardens and meeting, talking gardening and meeting other gardeners. For more information email info@hiddengardensfrance.com

For further information contact Gill Pound at La Petite Pépinière de Caunes (shrubs and perennials, ornamental grasses, unusual plants and plants for dry climates, garden advice and consultation), 21, Avenue de la Montagne Noire, 11160, Caunes-Minervois.
Tel: 04 68 78 43 81, email Gill@lapetitepepiniere.com
www.lapetitepepiniere.com