Fall-blooming perennials and cool-season crops may top your garden list for August. But don’t ignore another easygoing plant that is sure to add focus and fluidity to your autumn garden: container-grown ornamental grasses. These grass varieties come in all sizes and many shades, bringing texture, graceful movement, and welcome height to fall displays.

When late summer heat has often burned out tired annuals, these low maintenance ornamental grasses are the ultimate architectural rescue squad, and they set you up beautifully for the season ahead. By filling mid-summer border gaps now, you aren't just adding static green filler. You are introducing dynamic movement, rustling soundscapes, and winter-long silhouettes that stay stunning straight through frost.

And here’s the best news. When you plant ornamental grasses, you bring lovely additions to your yard that require surprisingly little maintenance. Most are resilient, low-maintenance ornamental grasses that won’t demand constant attention: no mowing, limited irrigation, and only occasional pruning. For time-strapped gardeners, they are the definition of low-effort landscaping that gives you exceptional reward.

Great Grasses to Plant in August

Planting container-grown ornamental grass in August is a win-win endeavor. The grass is happy to find its roots in warm soil, while you’ll get ornamental grass that offers many years of color in the landscape. While air temperatures begin their subtle late-summer dip, the soil remains warm for weeks. This encourages container-grown grasses to establish massive root networks in half the time it takes during spring.

Of course, August can look different in different planting zones. If you live in an area that experiences heatwaves or severe heat in late summer, you may do better postponing the transplanting until the weather breaks. However, if the heat isn’t extreme, the transplants will survive as long as they get sufficient water. Check your soil’s water levels prior to planting with the excellent Raintrip 4-in-1 Soil Meter from Amazon, which also checks for light and soil pH levels as well as nutrient load.

Planting these grasses in heavy clay is a recipe for crown rot. Add some well-rotted compost to break up compaction and ensure good drainage. To give late-summer transplants a head start without burning tender new roots, top-dress your soil with a sprinkle of Espoma Organic Bio-Tone Starter Plus from Home Depot. Packed with beneficial mycorrhizae, it accelerates root development in warm soil.

Don’t forget to water the transplants well and often during the hottest parts of August. If your area experiences extreme heat after you plant, provide them with temporary afternoon shade to prevent severe transplant shock. If you are planting in containers, opt for heavy terracotta pots with large drainage holes. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizers and focus on root hydration and soil conditioning.

1. Fountain Grass

Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) is a joy to behold. Hardy in zones 5-9, it offers soft plumes that resemble bottlebrush and arch gracefully over mounds of burgundy leaves. Fountain grass really hits its stride from late August through November, when its bristly inflorescences catch the low golden hour light. For a lush smoky purple grass that also flourishes in containers, try Red Head Fountain Grass Live Plants from Plant Addicts.

This grass needs a full sun location (at least 6 hours of direct sun daily) and well-drained soil, making it a low-maintenance choice for drought-tolerant spaces. It just requires some deep watering for the first few months after planting, then only occasional watering once established. Plant it alongside coarse-textured late bloomers such as black-eyed Susans (rudbeckia) or Autumn Joy sedum to accentuate its soft, plushy depths.

2. Maiden Grass Morning Light

Are you looking for a silver splash of texture? Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light') is beloved for its fine green leaves with thin white edges that effortlessly catch the light. The plant takes on a soft, shimmering silver look that slots easily into any space, but especially those devoted to classic styles as well as prairie plantings. For affordable texture that adds variegated tones, try Perennial Farm Marketplace’s Variegated Maiden Grass Morning Light from Amazon.

Maiden grass grows tall and can reach 9 feet (3m) tall in zones 4-9. Its feathery flower heads dance in the breeze from late summer well into winter. These transform from reddish-bronze in summer to fluffy moonlight white by fall. This grass just needs full sun and well-draining soil. Add a little Rosy Soil Biochar Booster from Walmart to improve nutrient holding capacity and water retention. Plant this dancing grass where it can be backlit by the sun to highlight its silvery edges.

3. Blue Fescue Elijah Blue

Blue plant lovers will adore this hard-working ornamental. 'Elijah Blue' is the quintessential cool-season grass for sunny borders in zones 4-8. If you plant blue fescue (Festuca glauca) in August, just make sure you have healthy nursery stock with strong root balls, and provide some afternoon shade. Even temporary shade in hot days can make a big difference to this powder blue beauty. FlowersBulbs Blue Fescue Plants from Walmart is great for budget-lovers.

As well as working well in mass plantings, rockeries, and borders, this compact ornamental grass is a fine choice for smaller yard spaces. Its bright blue, spiky mounds only grow to 10 inches tall (25cm) and work well for edging and pathway planting. When transplanting container-grown plants, just make sure your soil has good drainage and don’t be afraid to add some coarse sand or grit. This plant’s blue hues look gorgeous alongside purple penstemons or deep red heuchera.

4. Pink Muhly Grass

Wispy pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a stunning ornamental. It makes me think of clouds so powerfully that Joni Mitchell’s song Both Sides Now comes to mind when I look at it. Native to the eastern and central US (zones 6-9), it is arguably the most breathtaking autumn grass available and it reaches 3 feet (1m) tall. Starting in late August, it produces a shimmering, ethereal mist of plumes that last through November. You can currently buy Pink Muhly Grass Live Plants from Fast Growing Trees for a generous 30% discount with the checkout code.

With its striking cotton-candy hue and purple autumn flower plumes, this grass works well in groups or along pathways. Place it in your hottest, sunniest spot. It is fiercely drought-tolerant and heat-hardy once rooted. Just keep a close eye on soil moisture. You’ll want to irrigate deep and slow twice a week until the weather cools. Pair this grass with goldenrod (Solidago) or native purple coneflowers for a showstopping native display that will keep vibrating deep into fall.

5. Japanese Forest Grass Aureola

If you’re looking for shade plants that can dazzle in the gloom, this shade-tolerant ornamental grass is perfect for August and fall planting. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') offers a compact shape and will liven up your landscape with its bright gold and green striped leaves and cascading waterfall habit. You can buy Aureola Golden Variegated Japanese Forest Grass from Plant Addicts for generous cascading color and structure in zones 5-9.

Choose a cool, shaded area under trees or next to a shady wall and make sure it is protected from the hot afternoon sun. Water it deeply at least once a week and put a thick mulch around the base, using coarse wood chippings or some shredded bark. Growing 18-20 inches (45-50cm) tall, its arching blades create a graceful, bamboo-like elegance that takes on reddish-pink blushes in cooler fall weather. Partner with large, lush hosta, ferns, and deep purple coral bells.

6. Mexican Feather Grass

With delicate leaves and fluffy flower heads, Mexican feather grasses (Nassella tenuissima) dance in the slightest breeze. Wherever you plant this graceful dancing silk, it brings a soft, natural look. Reaching 2 feet (.6m), these self-seeders are considered invasive in some areas, so check before you buy. Hardy in zones 7-10, Mexican feather grasses are easy to grow, love the sun, and tolerate partial shade. Buy Greenwood Nursery Mexican Feathergrass from Amazon if you’re a budget.

Its silvery-green flower heads ripen into soft golden blonde strands by fall. It thrives in lean, poor, sandy or rocky soils, where other plants might struggle. Add a little Soil Sunrise Perlite Mix from Walmart to toughen up damper soils. Pair this grass with drought-tolerant succulents, lavender, or salvia in Mediterranean-style layouts. For restricted regions, consider native blue grama grass as a safe alternative.

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Sometimes the joy of garden bird encounters can feel like a bit of a waiting game. When I seek out birdlife in the backyard, it’s often the case that I can hear it more than see it. Hedges and shrubs might be quivering midsummer, with boisterous twitterings and enthusiastic grub-gobbling. Certain species are as lively as ever, and just as keen for a drink or a paddle. But just when you think you’ve spied a flash of color near the bird bath splash zone, the moment’s gone, and the wait continues…

Would it surprise you to hear that this waiting game is actually a critical part of the backyard birdlife dance? In fact, it’s so important for attracting birds, they need dedicated areas of the yard devoted to it. Does that sound ridiculous? Well, it really isn’t, at least, not to a bird. Our little feathered friends need special “observation decks” where they can sit, observe, and spy their chance for that perfect moment to approach your specially prepared bird bath and enjoy the facilities, as it were.

Fail to give them this perch, and the jig may well be up. Birds, like us, appreciate comfort and places to rest in summer. Think of it as your bird’s deck chair. Yet it’s amazing how often this waiting branch gets overlooked in our quest for the perfect bird bath. We obsess over the relative merits of pedestal versus platform versus hanging models – but how many of us give a minute’s thought to bespoke birdie branches? Frustrated bird bath owners, it’s high time we did. Here’s how to add one easily (and where to put it) to enjoy more bird bath action and save yourself some waiting…

What is a Waiting Branch?

To understand why a waiting branch is so important for your bird bath, it’s important to take the bird’s eye view on things. Yes, your birdie visitor may be parched and desperate for a refreshing dip. But an exposed basin planted firmly in the middle of a yard is risky business.

We might see an ornate basin with inviting water twinkling in the light. But such a setup puts a small songbird in a vulnerable position, even if they are craving a drink or a soak. A bird bath near a tree with strong horizontal branches, such as a serviceberry like Autumn Brilliance, which you can pick up on a budget from Walmart, is far superior to one in plain sight with zero nearby support or cover.

Birds are creatures of curiosity, but also caution. When spying a bird bath, a little tufted titmouse, finch, wren, or bluebird will rarely swoop straight in. Instead, they prefer to hop down through a leafy staircase of careful steps, taking their sweet time to size up the scene. A waiting branch is their trusted observation deck: a cozy spot to tilt their small heads, tune into the vibe, and make sure the coast is clear.

When approaching a bath, they’ll want to check water levels and assess for predators. On the way back, they need the same branches to shield and protect them as they shake off water droplets, preen, and get their feathers fully flight-ready again. If your bath stands isolated without any kind of landing pad, songbirds will move onto more sheltered bathing opportunities. Even if you don’t have room for a full-sized tree, some well-placed branches mounted nearby make a huge difference to a little bird in need of privacy and security.

Choose something 18-24 inches long (45-60cm) so multiple birds can queue in comfort. You can buy bundles of textured wood, like the Yoosountic Birch Branches from Amazon, with varying thicknesses to fit into a range of backyard fixtures like fence posts, deck spindles, or garden stakes. This one addition creates an idyllic poolside vibe for observing and preening, before and after bathing.

Pick your Perch

You don't need a massive oak tree to give songbirds a 5-star observation deck. Waiting branches and staging perches come in all shapes and sizes, from living native flora to ornate, space-saving pieces. Here are a few bird-friendly options for poolside perching near the splash zone.

Get the Vantage Advantage

For most shy and timid bird species other than your more adventurous robins, that waiting branch needs to be in the right place – and the correct height and distance are critical. Your birdies need a sunny vantage point to weigh the risks before wetting a single feather. Enter the vantage advantage! Basically, the ideal distance for a waiting branch is around 10-12 feet (3-3.7m) from the water's edge. It is near enough for a soggy, water-heavy bird to flutter back to safety in a heartbeat, yet far enough to prevent a sneaky garden cat from leaping out from hidden ground foliage. Get this right, and your feathered friends will be brave enough to take that splashy voyage.

Clear lines of sight and height are equally important. Position your perch 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8m) from the ground to give birds full scope to assess activity both on the ground and in the air. Your waiting branch also needs to allow for smooth entry and exit. To give a clear sightline at a perfect height from the splash zone, secure a tall ground pole or shepherd hook (like the Vigoro Fuchsia 84-Inch Deluxe Double Shepherd Hook from The Home Depot) into the ground or lawn or a large planter. Choosing something a few inches more than you need gives you that sweet spot when the staff or pole is inserted into the soil or sward.

For a basin on a patio or apartment balcony, you can get shepherd hook and bracket sets online. Try the excellent adjustable Juegoal Extended Deck Hook and Clamp from Amazon which mounts directly to a deck railing, to which you can then hang the branch of your choosing. This gives timid finches and chickadees a secure, elevated launching pad with a clear flight path to a safe summer soak. A few species (like dark-eyed juncos) might prefer perches nearer the ground, raised 2 feet (60cm) and tucked close to thicket cover. However, most birdies are happiest with their waiting branch higher for that full-vision vantage point.

Make Your Perch Work

As well as where you place it, the type of waiting branch you choose has to be right for the particular needs of your yard around the bird bath. So give some thought to the more practical aspects, such as available space for planting, access for changing bird bath water, and whether you might need to factor in multiple branches for a wider bird community. Native shrubs like serviceberry, flowering dogwood, or arrowwood viburnum provide built-in multi-level perches with protective leaf cover – but obviously you need sufficient space to grow them.

Where planting a full shrub or small tree isn't an option, structural add-ons work brilliantly. Training vines up budget-friendly Aboxoo 2-Pack Decorative Metal Trellis from Amazon creates a lush, multi-tiered waiting ladder right behind the basin. These are lovely both for multiple perches and an evolving curtain of added privacy. For balcony and deck gardeners, a simple clamp-on deck hook is ideal. You can attach natural sticks or branches to these hooks, clamped to available railings. You can even get cute swing-style waiting branches, like the Hiwzitar Natural Wood Bird Swing from Amazon with its textured wood and leafy twine.

As well as ensuring a decent branch length (around 2-3 feet/60-90cm) for potential birding partners or parents, make sure your branch is a reasonable thickness and strength for little birdie toes waiting to hop into the community pool. Perches that are too springy may send timid bathers scattering. Something 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4cm) thick and ideally textured is best for little feet to grip. If you can vary your branch textures with multiple options, you’ll increase the scope for delicate sparrows and chickadees, as well as more sturdy birdies keen to enjoy the splash zone.

Overcoming Birdy Fears

August in the backyard can be full of family drama for prospective bathing birds, especially when fledgling season reaches its peak. To an uncoordinated juvenile, a bird bath looks like an ocean. Young cardinals and robins are notoriously clumsy bathers, and that waiting branch helps bewildered babes find their feet while their parents demonstrate the art of the splash. The waiting branch also gives them the best chance to preen safely as they get to grips with new post-splash sensations.

For adult birds, the primary fear is getting trapped. Relying on just one landing stick can create a frustrating traffic jam, or situations where bossy blue jays or grackles might corner shy goldfinches and juncos. Incorporating a few staggered perches gives timid bathers like nuthatches an instant escape in either direction.

Finally, there’s also the birdy fear of approaching a bird bath that might be too still. You can improve your chances of attracting more birdies even further by ensuring that your bird bath features some continuous, gentle movement. Adding subtle water motion with a wiggler like the Solar Water Wiggler from Walmart helps to reassure your perch-bound birdies that the bath is active, safe and clean. Happy splashing!

Shop Bird Bath Extras

Once your waiting branch is in place and your local songbirds feel safe surveying the scene, it’s all about keeping your splash zone sparkling and active. These small extras make a huge difference to birdlife visiting your yard. Use these choice bathing picks to help create a safe, clean and popular poolside vibe all summer long.

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Black spot turns up on roses nearly everywhere they are grown. The fungus behind it, Diplocarpon rosae, needs one thing above all else to get established, and that is wet foliage. Everything else about rose care either shortens the window of leaf wetness or stretches it out. The difference usually comes down to habit rather than luck.

Plenty of gardeners reach for black spot remedies the moment a spotted leaf shows up. That helps with what is already on the plant, but it does nothing to solve why the bush keeps getting reinfected. Five ordinary practices account for most of that reinfection. Luckily, each one can be fixed in an afternoon.

What Black Spot Looks Like

Black spot is one of the most feared rose diseases. The spots begin low on the plant and work their way up. They come up dark and roughly circular, sometimes half an inch (1.3 cm) across. Edges look fringed instead of clean. That detail is what separates black spot from the other blemishes roses collect over a season. A yellow halo spreads out from each lesion as things progress. The whole leaf then yellows and drops. Canes get pulled in too, showing small purplish blotches on the current season’s growth – those blotches are where the fungus sits out the winter.

Infection needs roughly seven hours of continuous leaf wetness at temperatures above 68°F (20°C). That is a low bar in most summers. Once infection takes, new spores can form within a couple of weeks and start the cycle over on whatever is still green.

A rose black spot spray treatment can help slow an active infection, particularly when used early. BioAdvanced Disease Control for Roses, Flowers & Shrubs, available on Amazon, is a good option for controlling and preventing black spot. It works best, though, alongside the changes in care that stop the plant getting reinfected.

Defoliation from this common rose disease will not usually kill a rose outright. A bush stripped bare by August heads into winter with very little in reserve, though, and that is where the real damage shows up.

Five Habits That Keep Black Spot Coming Back

None of these habits is careless. They are the sort of moves a careful gardener makes on purpose when growing roses, which is what makes them hard to catch. Each one either lengthens the time rose leaves spend wet or hands the fungus somewhere to wait out the off-season.

1. Watering Overhead – and Watering Late

Evening feels like the sensible hour to water roses. The heat has broken by then. Nothing wilts on the way in. Leaves wetted at dusk stay wet until the sun clears them the next morning, though, which lands well past the seven hours the fungus needs.

Watering in the morning hands foliage the whole day to dry out. Keeping water at soil level removes the question entirely. A soaker hose, like this 2-pack of Hlinker flat hoses from Amazon, runs along the base of the planting, delivers water straight to the roots without touching a leaf. A watering wand works too, provided the spray stays under the lowest foliage.

Spores do not travel far on their own. They need a ride, and moving water is the only one they take.

2. Leaving Fallen Leaves Where They Land

A few dropped leaves under a rose look like nothing much. That litter is the reservoir. Diplocarpon rosae overwinters in fallen foliage and in cane lesions, then splashes back onto new growth the following spring. The loop closes there.

A rake pulled underneath the bush through the season, not only at autumn cleanup, is what opens it back up – ten minutes once a week does more here than most sprays manage. Infected leaves belong in the trash. Home compost piles rarely run hot enough to destroy the spores, and finished compost has a way of ending up right back around the roses.

Bagging debris beats stacking it at the edge of the bed, since wind moves infected foliage surprisingly well. A fresh layer of mulch over cleared ground puts a barrier between old spores and new growth. This Miracle-Gro Organic All Natural Mulch from Home Depot works well for topping cleared beds around roses.

3. Letting The Bush Close In On Itself

Roses fill in. Growth that had room in April crosses and tangles by July. The middle of the plant turns into a pocket of still, humid air where leaves stay damp for hours after the outside has dried.

Opening that center is ordinary structural rose pruning: taking out crossing canes and anything headed inward with a pair of sharp bypass pruners. Felco F6 pruners, available from Amazon, were rated best garden pruners in our testing. Clean cuts heal fast where crushed ones sit open. Weeds crowding the base work the same way on a smaller scale.

Spacing at planting matters as much. Roses set close together for a full look in year one are competing for air by year three, and the crowding only tightens from there.

4. Feeding Heavily For Bigger Blooms

Nitrogen produces exactly what the label promises, which is a flush of soft new leaves. Young tissue happens to be what black spot infects most readily. A heavy spring rose feeding can therefore hand the fungus an entire canopy of easy targets right as spores begin moving.

Tailoring feeding to a soil test result rather than a calendar keeps this in check. An inexpensive soil test kit, like this MySoil Test Kit, recently reviewed by our Content Editor Kathleen, reads soil pH along with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash, so the numbers guide the bag instead of habit doing it. A bush already fighting an infection does better on steady, moderate feeding than on a big push. Late feeding causes the same trouble at a worse point in the year, pushing tender growth into the humid end of summer.

5. Working The Bushes While They Are Wet

Deadheading roses after a rain feels efficient. The soil is soft, and the job goes quickly. Hands and blades moving through soaked foliage carry spores from leaf to leaf far more effectively than rain does on its own. Every cut opens a fresh entry point at the same time.

Waiting until the bush has dried costs a few hours. Cleaning pruners between plants, or at least between a diseased bush and a clean one, costs less than that. Neither step feels like disease control while it is happening, which might be part of why both get skipped. Roses are forgiving plants, and they tend to reward the gardener who slows down at exactly these moments.

Black Spot Resistant Roses

If black spot is a common issue in your garden, then seek out varieties bred to be resistant to the disease.

Morning water, cleared ground, an open bush, a lighter hand with fertilizer, and the patience to stay out of wet foliage all pull in the same direction – and none of it costs anything. A rose given that much tends to hold its leaves into autumn instead of standing bare by August.

Have you ever heard of a stop-and-fuel garden? It is one of those low effort ideas that works wonders... especially if your goal is to a) see more hummingbirds in your garden, and b) help aforementioned hummingbirds in your garden!

Whether you're the kind of person who obsessively reads up on your birth month hummingbird or not, I suspect you'll already know that August can be a surprisingly important month for hummingbirds. Because, while our gardens may feel like they’re reaching their late-summer peak, these tiny birds are working harder than ever – feeding frequently to maintain their incredible energy levels and, for many species, preparing for migration.

That means your yard can (and should!) become more than just a pretty outdoor space. In fact, with a few thoughtful additions, you can turn it into a vital stop-and-fuel garden – aka a place where hummingbirds can quickly refuel, find themselves something to eat, and enjoy a rest before continuing on their journey.

Create A Stop-And-Fuel Garden For Hummingbirds

If you're keen to do your bit and create a stop-and-fuel garden for hummingbirds, I have some good news for you: we only need three (three!) things to create one.

Without any further ado, then...

1. Set Up A Hummingbird Feeder

The easiest way to turn your yard into a hummingbird stopover? Why, with a reliable hummingbird feeder, of course!

During late summer, when natural food sources start to dwindle, a clean feeder provides a dependable energy boost. Hummingbirds have incredibly fast metabolisms and need to consume large amounts of nectar throughout the day, so gifting them some (whether you buy it pre-made or use this DIY nectar recipe), is always a good idea.

Shop Hummingbird Feeders:

There is a little maintenance involved here, of course; nectar should be changed regularly, especially during hot weather, and feeders should be cleaned frequently to prevent mold and bacteria from building up.

Still, as ways to create a stop-and-fuel garden go, it's really simple! Think of it as the garden equivalent of a roadside gas station, and set up accordingly.

2. Grow A Late-Summer Flowering Plant

A feeder is helpful, but the best hummingbird hangouts don’t rely on artificial nectar alone. Unsurprisingly, planting flowers gives these birds a more natural food source... and it does it while adding color, movement, and life to your yard.

Some of the best hummingbird-friendly plants for August include salvia, bee balm, cardinal flower, and fuchsia – all rich in nectar and beautifully suited to late-summer borders.

I particularly love salvias for this purpose, as their tubular flowers are perfectly shaped for hummingbirds, and many varieties continue blooming well into the season, creating a long-lasting food supply.

Shop Salvias:

A garden full of hummingbird plants has an added bonus, folks, as it also benefits other pollinators, turning your yard into a small but lively ecosystem. Beneficial for your garden, yes, but also the planet. Win win!

3. A Safe Place to Rest

Hummingbirds may be famous for their constant movement, but they also need somewhere to pause.

Adding a small tree, nesting shrub, or sheltered perch gives them a place to rest between feeding sessions and watch for potential threats. They might be cute to look at, but they are also territorial birds, so having nearby branches where they can sit and survey their surroundings can make your garden feel like a safer stopover.

A shallow water feature with moving water, such as a mister or gentle fountain (I rate this cute solar fountain!), is another welcome addition; hummingbirds aren’t typically attracted to deep bird baths, but they enjoy bathing in fine sprays or droplets.

Shop Hummingbird Essentials:

And there we have it, everyone! Honestly, the beauty of a hummingbird stop-and-fuel garden is that it doesn’t need to be complicated. All it really takes is a good feeder, a few nectar-rich flowers, and a safe resting spot, and you can transform even a small yard or teeny balcony into a valuable wildlife refuge.

So, this August, don't just sit and watch hummingbirds pass through. Instead, take the time to gift them a place where they can pause, refuel, and return – because, after all, hummingbirds always remember a good spot and tell their friends about it. You can bet they'll be back (and in greater numbers) before too long...

August is when a tomato garden stops being a project and starts becoming a serious workload. Plants sag under the weight of fruit, harvests outpace your kitchen, and the gear that seemed optional back in June suddenly is not.

It’s typically best to buy your tomato growing gear early in the season, when the plants are small and the summer still looks manageable. By the time a vine is six feet of tangled growth loaded with fruit, the gap between what is on hand and what is needed becomes obvious fast. Luckily, that gap doesn't cost much to close.

The tomato growing tools that earn their place this late are not glamorous. They hold plants upright or help move fruit from the garden to the kitchen. Here are the essentials you should snap up now, if you didn’t buy them at the beginning of the season.

Essential August Tomato Tools

Most of the tools you need for growing tomatoes in August remain useful for years. Late-season tomato problems are often mechanical rather than mysterious. Plants fall over. Fruit gets bruised on the walk indoors. A countertop fills faster than anyone can eat through it. Here are the tools you need to help solve these common issues.

1. Heavy-Duty Tomato Cages

The flimsy tomato cages sold every spring are the first thing to fail. An indeterminate tomato in August weighs far more than that wire was built to carry. A plant that goes over in a storm snaps stems and drops fruit onto wet soil where it rots. Damage at this stage in the season does not grow back. Fruit on the ground draws slugs besides.

A square tomato cage from Home Depot in heavy-gauge steel holds a mature plant without leaning and the wide openings make picking easier than a cone cage ever did. Fitting one over a grown plant takes patience, but still beats staking a collapsed vine after the fact. Anything already flopping can be tied to a stake driven at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep.

Another great alternative is to use modular tomato cages – Senior Editor Liz swears by this trellising method. You can easily install modular cages even when plants are large and full of heavy fruit. Just snap them together around the plant.

2. Potassium-Heavy Fertilizer

Fertilizing tomatoes in August isn't very important – or so the thinking goes. But plants still setting fruit draw hard on potassium and container tomatoes in particular have run through all their nutrients by midsummer. A plant that quits flowering in the heat needs reserves ready for September, because a second flush is usually there for anyone who feeds it.

Espoma Tomato-tone from Amazon is a 3-4-6 mix, which puts potassium ahead of nitrogen. That's important where fruit quality is concerned. This mix includes calcium, too. Blossom end rot is nearly always a watering problem rather than a soil calcium shortage. Steady moisture corrects more cases than any product would, though. Granular feeds go in around the drip line rather than against the stem, then get watered in.

3. Sharp Bypass Pruners

Harvesting tomatoes by hand can tear the vine. Twisting a stubborn one may snap the branch it grew on. An August plant is carrying too much fruit to spare the stems. Lower leaves need removing now as well, since foliage touching the soil gives early blight a route up the plant. Tomato suckers are worth pinching out too, since a plant this size gains nothing from more foliage.

A pair of bypass pruners from Lowe's makes clean cuts that seal quickly, unlike the crushed stubs left behind by anvil-style tools or bare fingers. Wipe the blades between plants to prevent spreading diseases. That takes seconds and slows whatever is already loose in the patch.

4. Harvest Basket

Shirt hems and buckets both fail when you have a hefty tomato harvest in August. A shirt holds a limited number of tomatoes before something drops and a solid bucket lets the bottom layer get crushed under whatever lands on top of it. Ripe fruit bruises easily, too. Anything bruised has to be used the same day.

The Fiskars harvesting basket from Amazon has a colander side, so a load can be rinsed with the hose and drained before it reaches the counter. The flat bottom sits rather than tips, which sounds minor until a full load goes over. Rinsing outside turns a two-trip job into one and soft spots show up under the water.

5. Water Bath Canner

A big glut of ripe tomatoes always seems to land all at once. A short row of healthy plants puts out more in two weeks than the average household can eat in a month and freezer space runs out long before the vines do. Tomatoes are acidic enough for water bath canning, which is the simplest way to preserve your vegetable harvest. New lids are single-use, though the jars themselves will last decades.

A Granite Ware water bath canner from Amazon holds seven quart jars and comes with the rack, which matters more than it sounds. Lifting hot jars out of boiling water without one is how people get burned.

USDA guidance calls for added acid in every jar, usually bottled lemon juice or citric acid, since many modern tomato varieties sit close to the safety line. This step is not optional for safe consumption of canned tomatoes.

6. Frost Cloths

Your local first frost date is an average of past years' first frosts, not a promise. One cold night in late September can end a plant still carrying thirty green tomatoes and the forecast rarely gives more than a day or two of real warning. Anything still green when it happens will ripen indoors in a paper bag, though it never quite matches vine-ripened taste.

A floating row cover from Home Depot draped over the plants ahead of a cold night traps enough warmth to carry them through the cold snap. It goes on before dusk and off in the morning, since trapped heat can do as much harm as cold. Using frost cloths can extend your tomato harvest for two or three weeks, which is enough to separate a decent growing season from a great one.

There are around 2.5 million ants for every human on this planet, and if you feel they’re all in your yard right now, you’re not alone. This summer’s heatwave has created ideal conditions for ant populations to surge, particularly in urban areas where there are few natural predators. And the garden spot that’s a magnet for ants? Hummingbird feeders.

Ants detect sweet substances using specialized chemical receptors on their antennae, and can pick up the scent up to 20 feet away. The reason why hummingbird feeders attract so many ants is that sugar granules dissolved in water release a much stronger chemical signal than dry crystals, so are far easier to find. Once a scout ant discovers a plentiful source, it heads back to the nest, leaving behind a pheromone trail that other ants can follow – and suddenly your feeder is smothered in ants.

And that’s a problem. Ants attracted to and falling into the sugar water contaminate the food supply and can jam the small feeding holes. Hummers rarely touch a feeder that’s covered in ants either. Right now, if you’re wondering how to help hummingbirds prepare for their great migration, making your feeder ant-free should be on your to-do list. As well as the basics of keeping your feeder clean and drip-free, there are plenty of chemical-free solutions to try. Researchers have found that hummingbirds can remember their favorite feeding spots, so make sure yours stays ant-free.

1. Hang a Length of Fishing Line

One of the best ways to get rid of ants on a hummingbird feeder is to hang it from a length of fishing line. Ants can climb most things, but fishing line is too fine and slippery for them to grip. Use 20 pound fishing line such as this Stren Original Monofilament Fishing Line from Walmart to create an impassable barrier.

2. Use an Ant Moat

Another effective but natural pest solution to prevent ants from reaching a hummingbird feeder is to attach an ant moat above it and keep it filled with water. Smaller ants are able to cross water as they’re light enough to not break the surface tension, but a moat will stop most. If you find ants are still breaching this preventive measure, simply hang two moats, one above the other.

Most ant moats come in a pack of two or four and are a cheap buy – this pack of four Red Umbrella Ant Guards from Amazon is currently $8.99 – so that’s easy to achieve.

3. Wrap Aluminum Foil Around the Hook or Pole

Some folk say aluminum foil is too slippery for ants to grip, others reckon it disrupts their navigation signals; some say it works great, others reckon it doesn’t work at all – but as you’ve probably already got a roll handy in a kitchen drawer, it’s well worth a try. Make sure the shiny side faces outwards.

4. Sprinkle Wood Ash Around the Pole Base

Wood ash is fine, dry and gritty enough to irritate ants, and if your feeder is on a pole, sprinkling a good amount around the base is a strong deterrent. You’ll need to re-sprinkle after rain, though, and be careful if that feeder stake is pushed into your lawn. The high alkalinity of wood ash will help to deter ants, but it can also scorch and damage grass.

5. Use Diatomaceous Earth Instead

Diatomaceous earth is a better solution to use on lawns because it can actually help to strengthen grass. This is another fine, abrasive powder that dehydrates ants who attempt to cross it so, like wood ash, only works when it’s dry and needs reapplying after rain. Do use a food-grade product such as Harris Diatomaceous Earth from Amazon that's safe for use around animals.

What Not to Do

Whatever you do, don’t apply Vaseline or any type of oil to a hummingbird feeder pole, even at the base, to stop ants. Even a tiny amount of an oil-based product that gets onto a hummingbird’s feathers can prove fatal. Petroleum jelly in particular causes feathers to lose their waterproofing, attracts dirt and is easily spread as the bird preens, affecting the hummer’s ability to fly and, ultimately, survive.

Keeping ants off a hummingbird feeder is simple with these natural pest prevention solutions. And if you feel you need to reduce the ant population in your garden, a chemical-free ant trap using pantry staples is the answer to getting rid of ants and anthills naturally.

Feeders With Built-In Ant Moats

A standalone privacy screen is such a cost-effective way to cool a patio while screening a seating area from neighbors’ gazes. Light enough to move around on a whim but heavy enough to stay put in a breeze, garden privacy screens add style, too, and you can choose a laser-cut pattern to suit the vibe of your backyard. Bolting together for a near-instant garden upgrade, no cursing or Quikrete required, screens are a quick fix, too.

But the best thing about privacy screens? Their versatility. Once you’re the lucky owner of a standalone screen, you’ll find all sorts of ways to put it to good use in your garden besides improving privacy. From screening a pool to zoning a patio, creating a novel trellis for a clematis, cleverly disguising an ugly aircon unit, or simply carving out a quiet nook of dappled shade to relax in, a privacy screen has endless uses. Most standalone metal designs also come with a selection of fixers for hard and soft ground, so you can also anchor them in place, and use the screen as a more permanent fixture.

No wonder, then, that a simple, stylish screen is the number one item we all want in our yards this year. Ikea’s wooden outdoor privacy screen became an overnight bestseller earlier this summer, and now Target has just dropped a ton of laser-cut metal designs and – even better! – most are currently marked down. So, how are you going to use your new outdoor privacy screen this summer?

1. Create a Cool Pool of Dappled Shade

2. Divide a Patio Into Zones

3. Disguise an Ugly AirCon Unit

4. Create a Garden Sanctuary

5. Screen an Unsightly Storage Area

6. Erect a Stylish Standalone Trellis

7. Enclose a Balcony End

8. Add a See-Through Windbreak

9. Link Indoors and Outdoors

10. Create a Pergola Wall

11. Train Climbing Vines Up a Planter Screen

12. Upgrade Poolside Privacy

13. Block Nosy Neighbors

High summer is when some plants thrive and others fade away. Certain herbs like cilantro and dill tend to bolt and turn bitter as temperatures rise, but others actually reach their culinary peak in the relentless heat of late summer. It's an interesting phenomenon – heat stress triggers certain herbs to produce higher concentrations of essential oils as a natural defense against moisture loss. The plant stays healthy, yes, but it also inadvertently makes itself extra tasty!

You'll see a lot of what we call "Mediterranean herbs" on this list. That makes sense – the Mediterranean climate is hot and dry, meaning its native herbs are naturally good at making those moisture-locking oils. As such, you'll notice that they're especially common in cuisine from Italy, Greece, North Africa... all those delicious foods from the Mediterranean region.

Let's take a look at the parts of the herb garden that taste the best under the sizzling August sun, and get ready to harvest! (I find harvesting delicate herbs works best with a small pair of Fiskars snips I got on Amazon).

1. Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil is the king of the summer herbs. It's not just frost-tender – it'll sulk around until daytime temperatures start consistently hitting the 80s (26-32 C). Then it explodes upward and outward with large, glossy leaves that taste like nothing else on earth. It will try to flower on you, but don't let it. Pinch back flower heads or, to do one better, cut it back several nodes down to encourage bushier, healthier growth.

I find I can harvest basil in early July, cutting plants way down so just a few lower leaves remain. If the summer's warm and bright, they'll bounce back fuller than ever and be ready for a second, more flavorful harvest in August. It's great in pesto, as a garnish or, as I've recently discovered, replacing the "L" in a classic BLT sandwich.

2. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)

Native to the dry, sun-drenched coast of the Mediterranean, rosemary is built to withstand extreme heat and drought. It does this by producing highly-concentrated oils that contain pinene and camphor – two things that are responsible for rosemary's unmistakable piney, woodsy scent. This means sprigs harvested in late summer will be way more intensely flavored that those harvested from the same plant in winter.

To get the best flavor, harvest entire sprigs in the late morning after the dew has dried but before the afternoon heat fully sets in. Add it to focaccia, grilled meats, oil for bread dipping or, a favorite of mine, rosemary shortbread cookies.

3. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Thyme may look delicate with its tiny little leaves, but it's one of the toughest heat-seekers out there. In cooler weather it might taste mild, but in high summer it ramps up production of thymol, the compound that gives it its unique, almost medicinal bite.

When harvesting, snip off the top few inches where the leaves are the most packed with oil. A few sprigs go well on almost anything – roast vegetables, tomato sauces, or (this one's my favorite) roasted with cherry tomatoes and a block of feta cheese.

4. Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora)

If you want the brightest, purest citrus flavor imaginable but don't have a lemon on hand, you're going to want lemon verbena. It thrives in high heat, when its leaves are bursting with citral oil. In the spring its foliage can taste a bit grassy, but late-summer plants have an almost perfume-like intensity to their citrus notes.

Harvest whole leafy stems during hot spells to infuse ice teas, cocktails, and simple syrups. Or just give it a squeeze when you walk past – your hands will carry that fresh, bright scent for a long time.

5. Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum)

True Greek oregano is a subspecies of common oregano that's much richer in carvacrol, the compound that gives it its punch. That means it has a much more intense flavor. If your Greek oregano still tastes bland in early summer, just wait (and stop watering!) It responds beautifully to dry, harsh summers.

For maximum flavor, harvest oregano just as the tiny white flower buds begin to form at the tips of the stems. It's great fresh, but it also keeps its flavor remarkably well when dried, which means you can savor that sharp bite all winter long.

6. Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis)

Summer savory is the least-known plant on this list – it's much less famous than its cousin winter savory, and if we're being honest that one's not winning any popularity contests. It still deserves a spot here, though. It's a quick-growing annual that really comes into its own in the hottest stretch of summer, when its leaves are packed with thymol and carvacrol. If you've been reading closely, you'll recognize those as the major compounds in thyme and Greek oregano. Summer savory's flavor palette has echoes of both of those, but it stands up as its own unique taste.

For some reason it's become inextricably tied with bean dishes, but it also goes great with grilled vegetables and chicken.

August is upon us, which means that my annual panic over my green tomatoes refusing to turn red has begun in earnest. Every morning, I make my way outside and inspect them closely, searching for the slightest hint of blush. A tiny patch of pink? A warm orange glow? Any sign that my beloved tomatoes are finally ready to become the pasta sauces, salads, and summer lunches I have been imagining since I planted them.

You guessed it, folks: none whatsoever. Instead, they remain stubbornly green and completely uninterested in my plans – and nobody shares my pain, as I am far more invested in this tomato harvest than anyone else in our house. My four- and two-year-old children have already informed me (several times) that they will never, ever eat a tomato, and my husband’s taste preferences are apparently not much more adventurous.

I am the only person eagerly waiting for that perfect moment when I can finally pick my tomatoes and turn them into something delicious. This year, though, my husband (who, as well as being an avowed tomato hater, is also a professional gardener with two decades of experience under his belt) has shared his secrets with me. Finally.

Why We Shouldn't Panic Over Green Tomatoes

As it turns out, green tomatoes are not necessarily a sign that something has gone wrong. In fact, this summer’s extreme heat could be the reason they appear to have pressed pause.

Yes, while tomatoes love sunshine, they have a surprisingly specific comfort zone when it comes to ripening – specifically temperatures around 70°F to 75°F (21°C to 24°C). This is the sweet spot when it comes to efficiently producing the pigments that create their familiar red and orange colors. And so, when daytime temperatures consistently climb beyond around 85°F to 90°F (29°C to 32°C), the plant can temporarily slow down pigment production.

"That means your tomatoes might look perfectly full-sized, plump, and ready, but they will remain stuck in the 'mature green' stage until conditions become more favorable," my husband explained.

Considering he is the most zen man in the world (the joys of working outdoors), it's hardly surprising that my husband’s first piece of advice for my annual green tomatoes anxiety was to "stop panicking and give them time".

Thankfully, he knows me. He knows that, as someone who has been emotionally checking the same tomatoes every day, this is easier said than done. And so, to help soothe my torrid thoughts, he shared a few things I can do to help my tomato plants focus their energy on ripening the fruit they already have.

Shop Tomato Cooking Essentials:

1. Strip & Pinch

If you want to coax your green tomatoes into turning red, the first thing to do is to remove some of the lower leaves. By stripping away leaves near the bottom of the plant, you can improve airflow and allow more light to reach the developing fruit.

You can also pinch out the main growing tip of the plant. This stops it from putting energy into producing new flowers and encourages it to concentrate its remaining resources on ripening the tomatoes already growing.

2. Don't Let Them Bake

My instinct has always been to assume that more sun must equal faster ripening, but my husband says green tomatoes (and red ones, too) are at risk of sunscald, which appears as pale, leathery patches on the skin.

"A tomato doesn’t need to be baked to ripen," he reminds me. "If you notice a tomato showing even the faintest hint of color, pick it and bring it indoors. You can leave it ripening on a kitchen counter, where conditions are often much more suitable."

3. Water Consistently

Inconsistent watering? Apparently a cardinal sin if you're trying to shift your green tomatoes into the red zone.

Regular watering at the base of the plant helps support healthy growth and can reduce problems such as fruit splitting and blossom end rot, where the bottom of the tomato becomes dark and sunken.

"The aim is consistency," my husband says pointedly (almost as if he's been watching me and sighing when my back is turned). "Not a dramatic rescue mission every few days when the soil looks desperate."

Shop Watering Essentials:

My husband’s final piece of advice was perhaps the hardest one for me to accept: this is usually just a temporary pause, and patience (as ever) is a virtue. "Once temperatures drop and conditions become more comfortable, tomatoes often get back to the important business of ripening," he says.

I suppose I have to admit that, while my husband may not enjoy eating tomatoes, he sure does know how to grow them; reluctantly, I have to admit he might know what he’s talking about. And if a few particularly stubborn green tomatoes should still refuse to cooperate, even after all of this advice? Well, I have a backup plan. Green tomato chutney.

Wish me luck...

Late summer can be a tricky period for gardening. Temperatures may be as high as they were in July or beginning to drop. Your area might be in a drought or getting rain. This is a crucial time for most lemon trees, as the fruits are ripening. For some varieties, like Meyer lemons, they may be ready to harvest as soon as late August.

August lemon tree care depends on your region’s conditions, but often includes extra watering and keeping developing fruits safe from extreme temperatures. You could mostly leave your trees alone right now, but these few simple tasks will reduce stress, improve fruit quality, and improve overall health for this year and next.

Let's see which tasks are worth the squeeze (pun intended) in August.

1. Water Deeply But Not Frequently

Unless it’s raining regularly in your garden, your lemon tree will appreciate a deep soaking about once a week. For most gardeners, August is hot, which means the soil around your tree’s roots will dry out more quickly. A regular but not daily soaking is better for the roots and the tree than daily light watering. The exception is a potted tree, which might need water every day. We love this citrus tree planter from Vego because it is a self-watering container so you don't have to worry about a sudden dry spell or heat wave. (It also has wheels to make it easy to move indoors as the weather cools!)

The best way to tell if your lemon tree needs some water is to stick your finger in the soil. If the first couple of inches (5 cm) are dry, it’s time to water again. Give the tree a good soaking in the morning to reduce water lost to evaporation.

2. Refresh the Mulch to Keep Roots Cool

While the summer heat blazes on, your trees can easily get stressed. Late summer heat is especially risky for citrus trees, which have shallow roots. Overheated and stressed roots can affect the entire plant, including fruit development.

If you don’t have mulch around your tree, add some. If you already have mulch, now is a good time to check it for thin spots and add fresh mulch as needed. Use wood chips, shredded bark, or compost and aim for a layer about two to four inches (5 to 10 cm) deep out to the drip line. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot. Potted trees can also benefit from mulch.

3. Fertilize, But Gently

Citrus trees are heavy feeders. They benefit from regular fertilizer application throughout the summer to support healthy growth and fruit development. Balance is important, though. Too much fertilizer can damage a tree. If you applied a slow-release fertilizer in June or July, don’t feed your tree now.

If you have been using a liquid or diluted fertilizer throughout the summer, carry on applying it now. If the weather is particularly hot and dry, hold off until temperatures cool a little, and you can ensure your tree will get enough water.

Use a balanced citrus fertilizer, and if you’re unsure if your tree really needs it, dilute to half strength before applying. This GrowScripts citrus tree care kit from Fast Growing Trees has everything you need and a care calendar to help take the guesswork out of fertilizing.

4. Check for Pests

Late summer weather can be ideal for lemon tree pests, so take the time to check leaves and fruits for them. Look for aphids, spider mites, scale, and citrus leaf miners. The latter are most commonly seen on new growth. Look at both sides of leaves, as pests often infest the undersides.

In addition to the pests themselves, some signs they are present include curling leaves, sticky honeydew with ants, webbing, and silvery trails. If you see pests or their signs, you can use organic solutions, like neem oil or insecticidal soap, to manage them. Content Editor Kathleen Walters has been using Garden Safe brand insecticidal soap from Amazon for years with great success.

A strong blast with the hose can also be effective at dislodging many pests. Early treatment is best, but also keep in mind that healthy, well-watered trees not stressed by the heat are better prepared to resist pest damage.

5. Pruning vs. Fruit Protection

A period of summer heat is not the best time to prune a citrus tree, as this can lead to additional stress. However, it’s beneficial at any time of year to remove any damaged part of the tree, including damaged fruits, which can leave the door open to disease. You can also remove water sprouts at the base of the trunk.

In addition to avoiding stress, not heavily pruning now is important because the canopy of the tree protects developing fruit from extreme heat. While lemon trees thrive in sun and warm climates, extreme temperatures can be damaging. Any fruit exposed to the sun during a heat wave can get burned, causing scorched and patchy skin. Leave your tree’s canopy in place for now.

August doesn’t require any major changes in care for your lemon trees. Mostly, you’re continuing what you’ve been doing all summer, making adjustments for extreme weather conditions or if you see pests.

Spend a little extra time providing water during dry, hot conditions, refreshing mulch, and checking for signs of pests, and your tree should continue to ripen healthy, juicy lemons, soon to be ready for harvesting.

Summer is a time for relaxing getaways, a great break for you but potentially a stressful time for your houseplants. Fortunately, not every plant demands daily watering or constant attention. Many popular houseplants are popular because they tolerate or even thrive on neglect.

Whether you’re planning a trip or just want low-maintenance greenery, these options are ideal. A little basic houseplant care before and after a vacation will keep these resilient beauties alive and thriving. Or if you're going away for a really long time, consider a smart plant waterer, which you can find at Amazon.

1. ZZ Plant

ZZ plant, or Zamioculcas zamiifolia, is also known as Zanzibar gem and eternity plant. It has glossy, dark green leaves and grows upright, making an attractive indoor container plant.

ZZ plant is native to eastern Africa, growing in drought-prone regions. It has thick rhizomes that store water, allowing it to survive weeks of dry conditions. In your home, this means you can miss several waterings and still have a healthy plant. It also grows well in low light. Give it one good watering before you leave on a trip, and it will be fine.

2. Snake Plant

Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata), or mother-in-law plant, is a great option for anyone new to growing houseplants and those who are gone often. It has striking, tall, sword-shaped leaves with gorgeous variegation and golden borders.

Your snake plant is one of the toughest of all houseplants. Its fleshy leaves store water, and it tolerates low-light conditions. You’re more likely to kill a snake plant with overwatering than underwatering. In fact, it’s better to leave the soil slightly dry before you head off on vacation than to give it a soaking.

3. Ponytail Palm

Beaucarnea recurvata, the ponytail palm, gets its common name from the way the long, narrow leaves emerge in a bundle from the fleshy stem, spilling over like hair in a ponytail. These easy indoor plants are not true palms, but they provide a tropical, palm-like look and can potentially grow to six feet (1.8 m) tall in an indoor container.

Ponytail is actually a type of succulent. Native to arid regions of Central America, it has a thick, fleshy trunk, often described as an elephant foot because it is wider at the bottom. This unique trunk stores water, allowing the plant to go a week or two without attention. When going on vacation, place your ponytail palm in a sunny spot and only water it if the soil is very dry. It only needs a little moisture to survive your trip.

4. Cast Iron Plant

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) has an apt common name. It is exceptionally tough, thrives even in lower light conditions and changing temperatures, and tolerates and forgives neglected watering. Native to Japan and China, cast iron plant gives you plenty of lush, dark green foliage with little effort.

If you plan to jet off for extended periods of time in the summer, this is the plant for you. Make sure the soil has some moisture before you leave, but there’s no need to give it a soaking. Place it in a location with indirect or dappled light, not bright, direct light.

5. Jade

Jade plant (Crassula ovata) is a classic succulent houseplant with small, fleshy leaves growing on woody stems. It thrives in conditions of bright light but dry air and soil. You only ever need to water it when the soil has completely dried out, as the leaves hold and store moisture. Another bonus of growing a jade plant: it can live for up to 70 years.

Overwatering is more often an issue with jade plants than dry soil. If you’re going on vacation, give your jade plant a good soaking a day or two before you leave. This will give you a chance to check the bottom and be sure the water is draining, and the roots aren’t sitting in soggy soil. Make sure to leave it in a spot with bright light.

6. Pothos

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a beloved houseplant because it’s so easy to grow and because it’s a real beauty. This is a vining plant native to Asia with glossy, heart-shaped leaves. In addition to being low-maintenance, you can choose from varieties in different shades of green, with variegation, and even with large white patches.

Pothos actually likes a decent amount of water and flourishes with a regular watering schedule. However, it is very forgiving and will bounce back quickly after being neglected for a while, even if it’s a little wilted and drooping. Before a trip, give it a good soak and leave it out of bright sunlight, which will dry out the soil more quickly.

If your summer plans include a fun getaway, you don’t have to come home to dead houseplants. Choose tough, low-maintenance, and forgiving plants like these and water them before you leave to set them up for success.

We all need a makeover from time to time and what fun it is to head out for a haircut, facial, and a new outfit! Well, why does it surprise you that hanging baskets need a refresh too? The baskets that looked fresh, vibrant, and gorgeous in spring will be showing their age by early August.

But don’t think of tossing out your hanging baskets! It’s a normal progression for a basket to go from picture-perfect to overgrown and tired as summer peaks and then wanes. All it needs is a mid-season refresh to wake it up and make it the star of the patio through fall.

Follow these simple tips to refresh your hanging baskets in August and get them looking perky and pretty again for fall.

How to Refresh Hanging Baskets in August

Be kind to your hanging basket in August. It has worked hard in spring and early summer, leafing, flowering, and growing that cascading foliage. By this point in the year, it’s ready to do the plant equivalent of heading to the spa.

Since it’s your job to manage your hanging basket’s mid-season makeover, it’s important to understand how to transform it from tired to admired. Below are a few simple steps for you to take to make the magic happen.

1. Snip Off Faded Flowers

Almost everyone knows the practice known as deadheading. When flowers are blazing, they wake up the entire hanging basket and change it from just a few plants in a pot to a work of art. But as blooms fade and wilt, everything looks tired, like someone who pulled an all-nighter at the office.

Deadheading takes only a couple minutes, but it moves mountains in terms of making a difference in the look of your basket. Just by taking out the dying flowers, the basket looks younger and fresher – and it actually is. The practice not only promotes new growth, but also puts the brakes on diseases, fungus, and insects that dead blossoms can attract.

2. Remove Anything Dead or Dying

Now that the dead blooms are gone, look carefully at the foliage that remains. By this time in the growing season, some stems and leaves are on their way out, too.

Use a sharp, sterilized pair of pruners – our experts tested and reviewed the best ones here – to snip off sections of plants that are finished. If an entire plant is done or the roots are rotting, take out the entire thing, roots and all. Removing some plants makes room for fresh new ones that will wake up the look as well.

3. Trim Leggy Stems

Some stems in your hanging basket have neither died nor rotted. Instead, they have thrived. But they have grown to such an extent that their length has thrown the basket out of balance. They might be stringy at the ends or bare at the bottom.

These stems should be cut back with a bold hand. Try to take off about a third of the leggy stems. It’s hard to do but lots of these are vining plants that will produce dense new shoots quickly once the haircut happens.

4. Check the Soil and Water Accordingly

All the flowers and foliage in your aging hanging basket share the same container of soil and get the water they need from that soil. One important step in the refresh is checking whether the soil is watered well.

Start by lifting up the basket and checking the weight of it. If the basket seems heavy, the soil is probably well watered. A bone dry basket will feel very light. To confirm, poke a finger into the soil as far as you can. If it’s dry, it is watering time. If you're unsure about the moisture levels, then a simple soil moisture meter like this one from Amazon is a great way to gain clarity and avoid either overwatering or underwatering.

If the soil is completely dry, water will run straight through it. In that case, fill up a bucket of water and put the entire inner basket into it, leaving it there for 15 minutes. Otherwise, get a watering schedule for the rest of the summer and fall. The best time to water container plants is in the morning, providing moisture to the plants well before the heat of the day while letting leaves dry fully before nightfall.

5. Fill in Spaces With Fresh Flowers

Now comes the fun part! You’ve taken out the dead and wilting plants and deadheaded the flowers. Early August is the perfect time to freshen containers by adding new flowers for hanging baskets. Use starts from the garden center and pick a species that establishes quickly.

A few favorites of mine for refreshing sunny baskets midsummer include colorful compact zinnias, vibrant yellow calibrachoa, or pretty pink angelonia from the Home Depot. Coleus are preferred for shady baskets.

If necessary, add a little bit of fresh potting soil at the same time to give the new plants a steady base. Content Editor Laura swears by this Miracle-Gro potting mix for her containers.

6. Fertilize Your Baskets

Last but not least, give your hanging baskets a boost with a fresh dose of fertilizer. By the last month of summer, your basket has used all the nutrients in the original potting soil and they are ready for additional fertilizer.

Your best choice is to use a liquid fertilizer formulated to support leaf growth and flowering, like this all-purpose organic bloom-boosting plant food from Espoma. You’ll need to dilute the product with water and use it the same time you are watering hanging baskets. This will give your plants the necessary nutrients without burning the roots.

Early August borders have a look about them, and something always gives out by midsummer. Early perennials have finished, and in some areas, there are bare patches where something failed to emerge. A corner that looked full and vibrant a few weeks ago is now probably looking a little sorry for itself, especially if you’ve had any kind of sweltering heat. But those gaps can still be filled, and the plants that manage it fastest will bloom right through until the first frost.

Not only is it OK to put these plants in the ground in August, but the conditions are at their best in many cases, so they will establish (and bloom) much faster. Warm soil is a big part of the reason. Roots move quickly in soil that’s been warming since May. The easiest flowers to grow now are those that bask in heat rather than sulk in it. Cool-season bedding won’t cope. What works are key fast gap fillers that will bloom within weeks, for a magnificent second act that will last all through fall.

To pull off this glorious late-season summer flush, it's often best to skip the seed packets. Instead, use robust nursery starts or established plugs where possible. Placing established root systems into sun-warmed earth delivers that critical instant impact. Just make sure you do go for these quick-flourishing dynamos for color-soaked beds and borders to first frosts.

Fast Flowers to Fill the August Gap

Late transplants have a shorter runway than spring options, so the planting hole matters more. Loosen the soil wider than the root ball rather than deeper, as roots spread sideways first. You also need to skip the high-nitrogen feeds, which only encourage leaves at a point in the season when flowers are the point. That said, because these are August plantings, it’s smart to add a splash of Miracle-Gro Quick Start Transplant Solution, available from Amazon. This helps to settle the soil around the roots, prevents transplant shock, and pushes early root growth. Watering the plant in its pot an hour before it goes in the ground helps, too.

Full sun is what these bloomers love, though a little afternoon shade will still work. In terms of soil, drainage counts far more than richness. A gap that stays soggy after rain needs amending before anything goes in, or the roots will sit and rot instead of running.

If your soil feels packed down or worn out, give it a little aged compost, plus some perlite or coarse sand. Water deeply, and less often. Little sprinkles that only wet the top inch (2.5cm) train roots to stay shallow. If you haven’t got one, a soaker hose like the STYDDI Soaker Hose, available from Walmart, is a smart investment for late summer hydration. Do this, and these late summer bloomers will dazzle you for weeks.

1. Zinnias

Zinnias (Zinnia elegans) germinate in warm earth faster than almost anything else, and direct-sowing from seed is still an option in the south. But northern and mid-country gardens will do best buying pre-grown nursery starts. Once established, zinnias take care of the show with very little fuss. All you need to do is keep deadheading fading blooms twice a week. This tells the plant to send up repeated blooms well into fall. Zinnias are starting to sell out in some places, but you can grab Meadow Decor California Zinnias from Walmart as pre-started plants for faster color.

Powdery mildew shows up on crowded plants late in the season, so leave room between plants and water strictly at the base. You can reduce the risk of mildew with a preventative spray like Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide Concentrate from Walmart. That way, you can keep your zinnia festival of color popping well into fall.

2. Rudbeckias

This is the one that comes back! Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) behaves as a short-lived perennial or a resilient biennial through much of the country. If you fancy a rush of yellow color that establishes super-fast and can also thrive in a large, late summer planter, Glitters LIke Gold Rudbeckia Plants from Nature Hills is a volume queen with brilliant structure. If you can find it, Goldsturm is another glorious fast bloomer for dominating shape and structure to rejuvenate collapsing borders.

To ensure these tough native relatives survive upcoming winter freezes, spread a two-inch (5cm) layer of Back to the Roots Organic Hardwood Bark Mulch from Amazon around the base after watering. This organic mulch insulates roots in erratic late-summer weather and seals in moisture. Roots need to settle before the ground cools, so keep watering after the flowers stop coming. Goldfinches will love stripping the seed heads in winter, and these golden flurries keep coming into October in a mild fall.

3. Lantana

Heat is not a problem for lantana (L. camara). It flowers straight through the brutal heat of late summer that can flatten other bedding blooms. Add a nursery plant in August and it will keep going relentlessly until a hard freeze shuts it down. Check local guidance, though. The species has escaped cultivation across parts of the southeast and Gulf Coast, so choose non-invasive cultivars where restricted. For a frothy explosion of hot pink, orange and gold, you can pick up LA Tropic Irene Lantana from Walmart as a live plant bundle for a reasonable price.

Where it behaves, butterflies will work their fiery flower clusters all day long. This bloomer shrugs off drought once rooted, which matters when regular hand-watering tends to slip. Mounding varieties fill wide, empty gaps in days, smothering weeds under dense, dark-green foliage. If you are worried about invasive tendencies, try growing Bandana or Landmark Series Lantana in a large container or planter. They’ll add seasonal dazzle to patios with continuous, multi-colored blooms for weeks.

4. Mexican Sunflower

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) puts on serious size in a hurry. A plant tucked into a gap now will be jostling against its neighbors by September. So give this one a decent space to fill, and it won’t let you down. With its glowing orange flowers, it is sure to draw in monarch butterflies during their fall migration. If you live in zones 9-11, you can still plant seeds if you hurry. Sow Right Seeds’ Mexican Sunflowers from Amazon will deliver a juicy shot of orange in warmer zones. For anywhere further north, buy this plant as an established start and set it deep.

Staking is worth considering in a windy spot, since tithonia’s hollow stems can snap in rougher weather. Adding some stakes is a smart move to protect their late-season height in rear-border gaps. Insert super-budget-friendly Lowe’s Bamboo Plant Supports alongside the main stems to protect them against late summer storms.

5. Mealycup Sage

Blue is scarce in a late-summer border, which is reason enough to splash out on some dazzling mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea). This native’s spikes of intense color make a highly pleasing and intentional contrast against the oranges and yellows that predominate at this time of year. Salvia plants set out in August will flower within a couple of weeks and continue through the first light frosts. If you’re looking for a blast of lush blue that will establish quickly, DMOH Blue Salvia Live Plants from Amazon add hyper-rich intensity to displays.

Popular blue flowering choices include ‘Victoria Blue’ (pictured), which seem to glow in late summer borders. Bumblebees favor these salvia varieties over pretty much everything. This gap-filler handles dry spells once settled, so it’s fine if you forget the occasional watering. In zones 8 and warmer, it often returns the following year.

6. Cosmos

For a reliable flurry of dainty petals, often with the most intense pinks found in nature, cosmos (C. bipinnatus) is a champ in midsummer gaps. As a bonus, they require very little in the way of planting care. Plants given too much fertility run to heavy foliage and quit flowering, so varieties like Sonata are best in sandy, coarse spots. For a major talking point that will also work well in containers, try the sultry Cosmos Chocamocha by Sacred Roots Nursery from Walmart as pre-grown plants.

Bees and hoverflies work them constantly, which is part of the appeal this late in the year. Pollinators are still out in force long after the early-season buffet has closed. To keep these delicate, multi-branching plants producing continuous daisy-like blooms without pushing excess leaves, feed them a little liquid seaweed supplement every fortnight. Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer from Amazon delivers rich organic trace minerals for quick, continuous bud formation.

7. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

Not every gap is in the ground. Calibrachoa (Million Bells) fill midsummer holes that are opening up in containers and window boxes, when spring plantings have gone leggy and tired. They flower continuously without deadheading, which is unusual for such heavy bloomers. They are perfect for giving a refresh to tired porch pots, patio planters, and hanging baskets. For lush amber and purple flower heads, try Proven Winners Superbells Double Vintage Coral Calibrachoa from Plant Addicts.

Feeding matters more with container blooms, which tend to exhaust soil nutrients faster. Espoma Organic Bloom Concentrate, available from Amazon, is perfect for nurturing super blooms and keeping them coming well into the cooler season. Applied once a week, this feeding corrects any pale foliage fast, supplying the exact nutrient ratio needed to keep your bells cascading until late autumn.

8. Nasturtiums

If you’re looking for a generous fast-gap filler that keeps local pests in hand and also doubles up as a spicy salad garnish, this late summer treat can fire on all cylinders. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) ask for almost nothing once in place. Poor ground actually suits them, since fertile beds push lush leaves at the expense of flowers. And planted near high-value crops, they pull aphids away and onto their own leaves. You can get lush dazzling Whirly Bird Mix Nasturtium Plants from Walmart for zingy brights and generous foliage that will cloak gaps in weeks and bloom on repeat.

Tucking this jewel into front-of-border gaps creates a rapid carpet of circular foliage that fills gaps almost as soon as planted. Should your nasturtiums attract a heavy colony of aphids while acting as a trap plant, you can manage the infestation gently using a gentle insecticide or horticultural soap. Keeping it organic means it won’t cause issues for any edible harvests or visiting pollinators.

A bed replanted with the right choices this month can often look better and brighter than those earlier flowers. Frost will eventually end the party, of course, but these jazzy bloomers set you up beautifully for that late-season spectacular. Personally, I think there is something wonderful to a season that goes out with fireworks, rather than trailing off quietly. So, grab a few healthy nursery starts, give them a deep drink, and get them in the ground right now.

Need more ideas for getting the most from your plants, indoors and out, and looking for the best seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free Gardening Know How Newsletter!

• TIME: 10 minutes
• RATING: Easy
• REWARD: Helps lavender survive winter

There’s an old gardening memory trick that says you should prune 8 inches from lavender plants on the eighth day of the eighth month. While there’s no need to stick exactly to this rule, there’s an awful lot of growing sense stored in those three digits. By August 8th, the flowers of most lavender varieties have faded, but the soil is still plenty warm enough to encourage new growth. And by trimming those old flower spikes, along with an inch or so of the foliage below, you’ll trigger the plant to grow a dense covering of new leaves. So if you're growing lavender in your garden, this is a quick and easy weekend win.

By following the 8-8-8 rule, there’s enough time for the fresh growth to harden before temperatures plummet, and this cloak of close-knit evergreen leaves will effectively insulate the plant through winter. And that means it’ll be in better shape next year, ready for another summer of abundant blooms..

The other benefit to trimming lavender in early August is keeping the plant compact and bushy, for a denser display of flowers next year. Pruning lavender plants now means you can shape them into a neat silver-leaved dome that will look good all through fall, winter and spring. A late summer trim makes it super-simple to avoid the biggest lavender pruning mistake of all, too: cutting into old wood, from which new stems probably won’t grow back.

Oh yes, and there’s an additional treat for you as well – but we’ll get to that!

How to Prune Lavender in August

1. Pick the Perfect Time

There's no need be exact about dates or measurements when you're deciding when to prune lavender. While the 888 lavender rule is a handy reminder, lavender should be trimmed once its flower spikes have faded and started to dry out, and the exact timing will differ between varieties and growing zones. But it's very likely to be right now.

2. Find Fresh Growth

Don’t stick to trimming off exactly 8 inches either. While that’s generally the right ballpark for most lavender types, you should aim to prune the faded flower stalk with around an inch of foliage. This is going to differ between a young and a mature plant, too, so use your judgement: you want to remove some of this year’s foliage but you don’t want to cut into the older, woodier stems below, which may not resprout.

Take a closer look at your plant and you'll probably spot a layer of fresh new silvery leaves against the greener foliage, above the brown woody stems. This is the perfect place to make your cuts as the stems here are lush, healthy, and ready to regrow.

3. Cut off Faded Flower Stalks

Use a sharp pair of bypass pruning shears, such as these Fiskars Bypass Pruners from Walmart, and if you haven’t sharpened your pruners in a while, do take a moment to before you begin. Clean cuts made with sharp blades heal much faster, so your plant can get on with the important business of growing fresh foliage, and it’s a two-minute task with a sharpening tool such as this $10 blade sharpener from Amazon.

Hold a bunch of stems in one hand and cut through the centre of this layer of fresh foliage with your pruners.

4. Shape the Plant

Once you’ve removed all the flower stalks, take a moment to consider the shape of your plant. If it’s a border plant, you may want to encourage it into a dome shape; if you’re growing a low lavender hedge, then you might want the sides to be straighter. I’m shaping this lavender plant to drape over the side of this raised bed so soften this patio corner, so I'm leaving the stems on one side slightly longer than those on the top.

Just be aware that if you cut into the woody part of the stems, they may not reshoot – but you can use that to your advantage, if you want the plant to ‘travel’ in a particular direction. The color difference between the older, brown woody stems at the plant base and the newer, green soft stems higher up is very clear at this time of the year, so it’s easy to tell.

5. Water to Aid Recovery

Pruning is a stressful event for any plant, so give your lavender a good water once you’re finished to help it recover quickly, and get growing again.

And that’s it, your weekend win is done! Thanks to its quick trim, your plant will now grow a snug coat of evergreen foliage that'll keep it cosy all through winter. And there’s a quick trick that will keep you happy in the cold season, too.

Before you make your pruning cuts, tie a ribbon tightly around a handful of stems, then trim as before.

You'll be left with a bunch of dried lavender to hang up indoors and scent your home. Deciding whether or not to strip the foliage from the stems will change the lavender's scent. The leaves typically have a slightly sharper, more resinous scent, adding depth and strength to the fragrance, which would be beneficial if you wanted to hang your posy in a bathroom, perhaps. In a bedroom, however, stripping the foliage so you enjoy just the sweeter fragrance of the flowers would give a softer, more calming aroma.

Either way, the scent will remind you of the plethora of fragranced flowers you can look forward to next summer – and boy will you get plenty, thanks to your timely August weekend win. If you want to give your plant some more TLC, then treating lavender to a gravel mulch is next on my to-do list.

Before and After

I always find it really useful to see a before and after of gardening jobs, so I know exactly what I'm aiming to achieve. Here's what my lavender plant looked like before its August prune:

Here's what my lavender plant looked like after its August prune.

New Lavender Varieties That Are Better Than Ever

Gardening is usually associated with escape: a quiet corner of calm, a chance to slow down, or a way to create something beautiful in an increasingly hectic world. But in Netflix's survival thriller The Last House, growing things takes on a far more urgent meaning.

When a family of four wakes to find themselves mysteriously sealed inside their home, everyday comforts quickly become necessities. And, when food supplies begin to dwindle and panic sets in, survival becomes the priority – which means that cultivating plants becomes less about aesthetics and more about resilience and resistance.

For Greta Lee, who stars in the film, that idea feels surprisingly close to home. Gardening isn't simply something she explored for The Last House; it's already an important part of her own life, both personally and with her children.

Gardening is Key To Survival in Netflix's The Last House

The film taps into something increasingly familiar: the idea that gardens are not just places of beauty, but sources of nourishment, patience, and hope (there's a reason preppers and their survival gardens are always such a beacon of planting inspiration on Reddit). At their most fundamental, they remind us that life continues even when circumstances become uncertain.

When I ask Greta what she'd grow if she were creating her own survival garden, her answer is refreshingly practical. "Lemon, kale, and potatoes," she tells me. And, while it's a simple list, it's one that says plenty. Reliable crops, nutritional staples, and something capable of lifting the spirits? Why, that's exactly what you'd hope for if the world outside suddenly became unpredictable.

Even imagining being trapped inside one house indefinitely, Greta's dream garden isn't pristine or overly designed. Quite the opposite, actually. "Definitely something a little on the wilder side and not so manicured," she says. "Flowering plants that attract bees and birds, maybe a fruit tree, long grasses being blown around in the wind."

Shop Greta Lee's Survival Crop Picks:

Her reasoning feels particularly poignant given the premise of The Last House. "You would want a view of a garden that feels very alive and has a lot going on, not only because you would be desperate for any means of entertainment, but I think it would give you hope. The world keeps going, things keep growing, even when you feel trapped."

For anyone who's ever found comfort in stepping outside after a difficult day, that sentiment will feel familiar. Gardens offer more than beauty, after all; they offer a sense of continuity, a reminder that change and renewal are always happening around us. And, away from the cameras, Greta says gardening has become one of the ways she reconnects with the natural world after the intensity of filming.

"Gardening is incredibly grounding. And humbling," she says. "The plants are in charge. Nature is in charge. You can't manipulate the weather or tell a seedling it needs to grow faster. You have to be patient, slow down and take things as they come. I find gardening to be really restorative. There's a lot to learn from nature."

Of course, nature isn't always gentle; every gardener knows that behind every beautiful border lies something capable of surprising us, whether it's invasive plants, toxic flowers, or species that seem almost otherworldly. With that in mind, then, I ask Greta whether there's a plant that genuinely unnerves her.

"Not necessarily creeped out," she says. "More like profound respect and fear."

Her answer is sacred datura (Datura wrightii), a striking flowering perennial that grows throughout her neighborhood. "It's used for traditional Indigenous ceremonies, spiritual visions, and historical localized medicines," she explains, "though it is extremely toxic and potentially fatal."

The plant contains powerful tropane alkaloids, and accidental ingestion can cause severe delirium, hallucinations, confusion, blurred vision, coma, and, in some cases, death. It's beautiful, fascinating, and a reminder that nature often commands as much respect as admiration.

Then again, not every memorable garden plant is dangerous; sometimes it's simply unstoppable – a fact Greta underlines when I ask her about the most resilient plant she's ever grown. "Mint! Mint is crazy!" she laughs. "You cannot plant mint willy-nilly. It spreads super aggressively through rhizomes. You must plant with purpose!"

Somewhat unexpectedly, she forges a connection between mint and The Last House. "Mint is like the love that spreads amongst the Delgado family. Strong and unbeatable," she points out. "See what I did there?"

Shop Easy Growing Essentials:

Considering the slew of headlines we keep being treated to on a daily basis, it's unsurprising that the idea that gardening can represent resilience is also appearing far beyond The Last House. Indeed, Zach Galifianakis' unexpectedly funny and endlessly curious series This Is A Gardening Show recently showcased our changing relationship with the land, using comedy to deliver a more serious message: “the future is agrarian.”

Together, these stories point towards a broader shift in how we think about growing things. Gardening is no longer being portrayed simply as a peaceful hobby or a way to make outdoor spaces look beautiful. Increasingly, it is being framed as a skill tied to self-sufficiency, connection, and survival.

Yes, there is still joy in growing roses and arranging cut flowers, but there is also a growing recognition that understanding plants, cultivating food, and working with nature may be some of the most valuable skills we can develop. I guess it all goes to show that, if gardening is getting a rebrand, survival might just be its most compelling new look.

Greta Lee's The Last House is now streaming on Netflix.

Moles and voles can be confused because of the similarity of their names, but they aren’t similar animals. Unfortunately, for many gardeners though, they are both pesky little creatures that can create damage in the lawn and landscaping.

Luckily, identifying the animals digging holes and damaging plants is quite easy with these two. Moles are underground insectivores and voles are small rodents who do their work above ground. If you have ever walked through your yard and felt the ground suddenly give way under your foot, that is from a mole. Seeing narrow little tracks carved through your lawn or groundcover indicates voles.

Let’s dig in and see what differentiates moles and voles and what you can do to keep them at bay.

Moles

Moles are insect-eating mammals who burrow underground and can a mess of your lawn. Their tunnels are easy to roll an ankle in and their mole hills make for unsightly lumps of dirt all over the yard.

Moles are 6-8 inches (15.2-20.3 cm) long and have velvety gray fur. Their large front feet have claws that make digging a breeze, and they have very small eyes and ears. They love to eat earthworms, so even if your lawn is free of other bugs, moles can still be present. When the weather is hot, earthworms and other insects go deeper underground and the moles will follow them. This might make you think you have gotten rid of them, but then they pop up again as the weather cools!

There are some humane ways to get rid of moles like creating a trap with a coffee can, but unfortunately, the only foolproof way to fully get rid of them is to kill them. Talk with your local extension office or a local pest control company for help. However, moles don’t usually do any lasting damage to your lawn and they play a vital role in our ecosystem, so maybe a little pile of dirt isn’t so bad, after all.

Voles

Voles, on the other hand, can do some minor damage to plants, trees, and turf. Voles are stout, little rodents that resemble mice, though they have much shorter legs and tails. Their bodies are typically 3.5-5 inches (8.9-12.7 cm) long and they like to chew paths through grass and groundcover to make their travel easier.

If you have voles, you will see a 2-inch wide pathway going around the yard. Gnawed trunks on trees and shrubs, and chewed stems and leaves on other plants are also giveaways. You might spot them eating spilled seeds from your bird feeders, too.

Mowing your lawn regularly, edging grass around structures and log piles, and keeping on top of weeding will help to reduce vole populations in your yard. Cleaning up that bird seed under your feeder or using a bird seed catch tray like this one from Amazon will help prevent them from coming around looking for a free snack.

Now that you know which one you are dealing with, you can get to work to make your garden a little less friendly, for pests that it is!

A brown lawn can be a summer bummer, but it’s very common and doesn’t usually mean your grass is dead. Turfgrasses are generally categorized as cool season and warm season depending on when they go dormant. In most cases, brown summer grass is simply dormant cool-season turf that needs a refresh.

Brown grass is not necessarily a reason to panic, especially during the hottest, driest days of summer. Browning up is a survival strategy and there are some simple signs you can check before assuming your grass is dead.

Below I’ll reveal some of the most common reasons for dying grass, signs your grass is dormant rather than dead and ready to bounce back, and tips for getting it green and healthy again by fall.

Dormant or Dead?

Grass naturally goes dormant under certain conditions (in the case of cool-season grasses, heat and drought trigger dormancy) to conserve water and protect the roots and crowns. Dormant grass comes back to life when conditions become more favorable.

Let’s take a look at some clues that can help you determine if your grass is dead or just dormant:

• Hot, dry weather. If you grow cool-season grass, temperatures are soaring, and it hasn’t rained for a while, your brown grass is probably dormant. Dormant grass looks evenly brown rather than patchy.
• Brown patches. Patchiness in your lawn is more likely to be a sign that the brown grass is dead because heat and dryness tend to affect the entire lawn. Smaller areas of brown grass could be dead due to pests, fungal lawn diseases, poor drainage, or animal urination. Pull up a small section of grass to look for grubs or other pests and mushy, soggy roots, signs of a problem deeper than dormancy.
• The pull test. Gently pull on a clump of grass in a brown area. If it resists the pull, the roots are still strong and it’s likely dormant. If the clump comes out very easily, you probably have dead grass.

Signs Grass Will Bounce Back by Fall

If you’re not sure what’s going on with your lawn, these signs are reasons for hope. These are typical signs your grass is still healthy and will green up again within a few weeks, either before or by fall.

1. The Crown Looks Healthy

The crown is the part of the plant where the roots meet the blades right at the soil level. To inspect the crown, separate the blades in a clump of grass and have a look. Use a garden tool like a trowel to dig into the soil a little if necessary.

A healthy crown is firm and white or light green. If the blades are brown but the crown still looks healthy, you likely have dormant grass that will come back to life. A mushy, brown crown is more concerning.

If you see a healthy crown, you can revive your dormant grass with regular, deep watering. Water the lawn once or twice a week, aiming for about an inch (2.5 cm) of water at a time. This is a more effective method than watering lightly every day.

2. Deep Watering Leads to New Green Growth

If you suspect your grass is only dormant due to hot and dry conditions, watering deeply should trigger some fresh, healthy growth. A burst of rain can also trigger new growth.

Water the brown grass deeply once or twice and check for growth at the base of plants a week or so later. This is a good sign to carry on with regular watering to revive the turf.

Regular, deep watering should be your focus right now. Hook up an oscillating sprinkler, like this one from the Home Depot, to a hose to give your whole lawn a good drink.

Hold off on mowing the newly growing grass and avoid using any lawn fertilizer, which can scorch stressed roots. Once the new grass is long and lush, you can start mowing your lawn again and do any necessary fertilizer applications.

3. Your Lawn is Uniformly Brown, Not Patchy

Uniform brown coloring across the lawn is actually a good sign. Dormancy is triggered in all grass when conditions turn hot and dry. The only patchiness you might see is related to regional conditions. For instance, grass will stay greener longer in shady areas and ditches, which retain more moisture.

To revive your uniformly brown lawn, you can begin regular, weekly deep watering or you can simply wait for rain. Healthy grass can stay dormant and still recover after three to six weeks.

This is important for areas under water restrictions. Check the weather for upcoming rain and determine if your grass can wait.

4. There's Moisture Below the Surface

Grass can still recover after weeks of dormancy, but there is a limit. During a serious drought, your brown, dormant grass might actually die. If you haven’t been paying attention to the duration of browning, check the soil for moisture with a simple moisture meter, like this one from Amazon.

Another way to check is to choose a brown area of grass and dig down two or three inches (5-7.5 cm). If the soil is dry above but moist down at this depth, there is still hope.

You can revive this grass with deep watering. You can also aerate your lawn in late summer or early fall to make it easier for the soil to hold onto water in the future.

5. Weeds Are Still Growing

Weeds can be a nuisance in turfgrass, but weeds can also indicate the health of your lawn during drought conditions. If your grass is browning but you still have some weed growth, this is a good sign. Many weeds are more heat-tolerant than grass and will continue to grow, indicating there is some moisture in the soil and your grass will recover.

Watering will revive your lawn at this point, but it will also support weed growth. Resist the urge to start aggressively managing weeds. Any herbicides applied now can damage your stressed turfgrass. Focus on bringing the grass back to life, then address the weeds.

It's a wonder that any plants are still alive in my no-water border, but some are flourishing and flowering – and they’re not the usual drought-tolerant plants everyone shouts about either. Some plants were nonchalant about the lack of water from the get-go, others drooped dramatically to begin with but then quickly got back to business. And yes, a few died. But like some greenfingered episode of Love, Lust or Run, it’s been very surprising which plants ended up in each of these three categories.

My zero-water garden experiment has been on-going for over two years now. It wasn’t planned, and I certainly didn’t have the foresight to know extreme drought resistance would be so useful in this El Niño summer. You see, I usually water the garden early in the morning, before I start work. But this big border runs along the front drive and, while I’m happy to potter around the back garden in my pajamas of a morning, I’d sooner not have the neighbors see my nightwear. And so, despite this being a sun-drenched raised bed running to three railway sleepers high at one end so the soil is incredibly fast-draining, I stopped bothering to water it.

My future-proofing plan was to replace any plants that hit the dust with a drought-tolerant ornamental grass that required zero attention from me apart from a quick shear in early spring. But I haven't yet had to: as the less drought-resistant plants moved on, the more resilient ones expanded into the space left behind. Even so, when this heatwave summer arrived – and I live in a dry part of the country that hasn’t seen a drop of rain for 8 weeks now – surely these tough cookies would give up the ghost, I thought. And just so you know how hot and dry this long bed is, here's how the hardy geraniums – widely considered to be a reliably drought-tolerant plant – are currently faring.

Bad, huh? Now, I’m all for a low-maintenance garden and my plot is full of easy-care plants that practically grow themselves, and my patio is packed with happy-in-a-pot perennials that thrive on neglect. But 10 beauties in this border have surpassed all my expectations, and here are those hero drought-tolerant plants that I haven’t watered for over two years.

1. New York Aster

This Michaelmas daisy starts flowering in late August (I took this photo last September) and doesn’t stop till November, and the plant is smothered with hundreds of these beautiful little lavender blooms, even if it hasn't had a drink for weeks. Bees really appreciate this late source of nectar, and I’m grateful for this lovely shot of late-season color.

Powdery mildew can be an issue for asters but Symphyotrichum novi-belgii is particularly resistant. Its only vice is that the stems can be a little straggly. My simple solution is to not bother chopping the previous year’s stems down in spring, so the new growth rises through this woody framework.

2. Red Valerian

Centranthus ruber, also known as Jupiter's beard, is a real trooper in my no-water bed, with bright pink flowers appearing in late spring and continuing all the way into fall – and that’s without me ever deadheading. The foliage is a pretty gray-green, too, and lasts through most of winter. This Mediterranean native is thriving in several spots through the border, having self-seeded itself into bare patches where other, less resilient plants have given up the fight. I'm happy for it to spread – it’s assertive rather than aggressive – and the butterflies love its nectar-rich flowers.

3. English Shrub Rose

There are two English shrub roses in this border and both are flourishing despite a complete absence of water, deadheading or proper pruning. This repeat-flowering beauty is Desdemona, an English shrub rose by David Austin Roses, and has peachy buds that open to white chalice-shaped blooms with just a hint of blush pink. It’s right next to the spot I park my car so whenever I arrive home in summer, I’m greeted by its sweet but fresh scent of almond blossom and lemon zest.

Those tiny pink spots are caused by thrips or Botrytis cinerea but this rose gets them every year and I do nothing about it, and it's always fine. Honestly, this beautiful rose deserves far better care!

4. Lavender Grosso

I grow lots of different lavender varieties, and all thrive on neglect. But lavender Grosso copes the best, even though it’s in my most neglected border. The purple spikes last from July to September and the mound of silvery foliage looks pretty all through winter. This is the one plant in this border that does get a trim, but only because I regularly raid its stems to make all manner of lavender crafts. This year, I turned the stems into solar-powered lavender lampshades for the patio!

5. Fuchsia Sunray

We all have a plant we dislike for no good reason, and fuchsia is mine – though the cause of my aversion is that I have to check how to spell it every time I write its name down which, as a gardening editor, is often. But even I can’t harbor any hatred for this little Fuchsia ‘Sunray’ because it’s an absolute joy. I’ve never watered, pruned or deadheaded it, yet every year it flowers non-stop from June to October, and its variegated red-flushed foliage is just as pretty as its pink and purple blooms.

This darling little fuchsia only grows to two feet high but, as it's planted at the front edge of the raised bed, the flowers dangle over the edge, dancing in the slightest breeze. This variety is only considered borderline hardy, so mulching or fleece protection is recommended to keep it cosy over winter. I’ve paid no heed to this advice and the plant is still alive: go figure.

6. Sedum Pine Forest

I have plenty of flowering groundcover in this bed so it looks smartish without me ever weeding it, other than occasionally pulling out strings of bindweed that loves the sunny, dry conditions. In particular, I use sedum as a drought-tolerant groundcover because of its firebreak capabilities. And out of all the different varieties, this Sedum reflexum is doing the best in the extreme heat and drought of this summer. It’s ‘Pine Forest’ and the succulent foliage does indeed resemble a miniature pine forest, which brings a lovely texture to parts of my no-water border.

This stonecrop is only a couple of inches tall but it’s spread well though never so much that I’ve had to pull any up. In early summer, it throws up tiny yellow flowers that bees and butterflies love, too.

7. Blackcurrant Sage

Salvia microphylla has wonderfully bright two-lipped flowers, and the delightful fragrance of its evergreen foliage reminds me of drinking blackcurrant cordial as a kid. Though this is sometimes known as baby sage, it grows to 3 feet (and I’m sure would make 4 feet if it ever had a drink) and though it sailed through its first no-water summers, it is getting some scorched blooms in this year’s unrelenting heat.

Though it’s only rated as hardy to 14°C (-10°F), this plant has successfully made it through several winters, and I suspect that’s down to the very well-draining soil.

8. St John's Wort

This St John's Wort shrub has grown into a foot-high groundcover of fresh green leaves that sporadically flushes with these small but dramatic golden flowers through summer and fall. Traditional wisdom is that Hypericum calycinum, also known as Aaron's beard, needs moist but well-drained soil but honestly, it couldn’t be happier.

9. Red Hot Poker

Kniphofia uvaria is also known as the flame flower and torch lily, and I always look forward to seeing these rockets of color firing up my zero-water border in summer. Red hot pokers are another plant that supposedly need well-draining but moist soil, so I’m surprised these are still flourishing three summers into my self-enforced hosepipe ban. With more water, I’m sure the plants would flower for longer, but they’re doing just fine without.

10. Photinia Pink Crispy

While photinia is usually used for hedging, its evergreen foliage makes it a useful border plant to keep gardens looking good through winter. The heavily marbled variegated foliage of this Photinia x fraseri ‘Pink Crispy’ adds so much appeal to my front-of-house border when many other plants have settled into dormancy for the winter. And, while its white early-summer flowers are tiny, this pretty foliage emerges a wonderful pink in spring, creating quite the show.

This variety is also very compact compared to many of its cousins and, although it’s capable or reaching 6 feet, my shrub tops out at around 3 feet in this water-starved soil.

I inherited all these plants when I bought the house, so they were well established long before I stopped watering them, and their extensive root systems adds to their drought tolerance. And while this border sits in the sun for most of the day, it is shaded for a few hours over midday, so these heat-tolerant plants are spared the most scorching of rays. I'd say all the plants in this border fall into the 'easy to grow' category, too.

Still, many of these plants are surprising survivors: if I were planning a zero-water border from scratch, I’d perhaps include the lavender, red valerian and sedum, but I certainly wouldn’t be choosing to plant a rose. But as my accidental xeriscaping experiment has shown, some plants might be absolutely fine with less water than we traditionally think.

For the last decade, I’ve been making easy switches to get more flowers for less work, to create a garden that almost takes care of itself. And now I’m experimenting with watering other borders a little less, to see how they cope, and if plants can be trained to become more drought-tolerant. And right now, any clever cheats to make gardening easier in this heatwave summer are to be welcomed.

Is there such a thing as a lavender dupe? Of course there is! In fact, you may find that there’s a plant out there that actually does the job even better than the original.

It sounds almost sacrilegious, I know. Especially as lavender has long been one of my go-to perennials thanks to its ability to tick off all three boxes when it comes to a plant that’s fragrant, drought tolerant, and beloved by pollinators everywhere.

Still, as much as I admire it, I’ll admit it isn’t always the easiest plant to keep looking its best. Woody stems, patchy growth, and a relatively short flowering window? All of that means your borders can be left looking tired by midsummer – and, for a while, I thought replacing it with salvia was the answer. Now, though, there's a new lavender dupe contending to be named the very best... and I'm wholly and utterly obsessed.

Meet The Lavender Dupe With Triple The Bloom Time

Oh yes, I’ve become increasingly convinced that catmint (especially bold varieties like Cat's Pajamas Catmint) is the lavender dupe that deserves way more attention than it's getting. Largely because, in many ways, it delivers everything I love about lavender (soft purple-blue flowers, aromatic foliage, and masses of bees), all while flowering for significantly longer and staying lush without developing those bare, woody stems that older lavender plants are known for.

At first glance, it’s easy to mistake catmint for lavender. Both produce spikes of violet-blue flowers above silvery-green foliage, and both thrive in sunny, well-drained positions.

This means that, from a distance, they create the same hazy, romantic effect that works beautifully in cottage gardens, Mediterranean-style plantings, and wildlife borders.

The biggest difference becomes apparent as the season progresses. Because, while many lavender varieties bloom for around four to six weeks, catmint can flower repeatedly from late spring until early fall when it’s lightly sheared after its first flush. In practice, that often means enjoying blooms for three times as long as lavender, especially in regions with long growing seasons.

I also love that catmint naturally forms soft lavender-like mounds without becoming woody as it ages. Every gardener worth their salt will tell you that mature lavender can eventually develop thick stems if it isn’t pruned carefully every year, whereas catmint? Well, catmint simply gifts us fresh foliage and another wave of flowers.

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It may be a lavender dupe, but wildlife doesn't care one jot; bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects flock to the nectar-rich blooms of catmint throughout the growing season, and it provides an extended food source when many other early summer perennials have already faded.

It's also very forgiving. In fact, so long as it gets full sun and well-drained soil, it’s remarkably drought tolerant once it settles in, and rarely needs supplemental watering except during prolonged dry spells. Maintenance, too, is refreshingly simple; after the first flush of flowers begins to fade, just cut the entire plant back by around one-third and wait for another generous display of blooms.

I want it on record that I don’t think catmint replaces lavender entirely. Lavender’s unmistakable fragrance and evergreen structure still make it an invaluable garden plant, no matter what a clever lavender dupe has to say about it. Still, if your priority is continuous color, minimal maintenance, and a plant that stays fresh throughout the season without becoming woody, catmint definitely has the edge. Give it a go, I say! I doubt you will find yourself disappointed...

Wasps are called social stinging insects, but that doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy their company in your backyard or garden. The term "wasp” includes both yellowjackets and hornets, and – as somebody who has interacted with both of these types of wasps in my yard in France – I can tell you that neither are desirable neighbors.

You are far more likely to have yellowjackets than hornets in the US, no matter where you reside. That’s because true hornets are rare in this country and yellowjackets are common, often living in nests underground. Though much smaller than hornets, yellowjackets are more aggressive and can zip out of a tiny hole in the ground and sting you multiple times.

So how do you know if a small hole in your yard is a hidden nest and how do you prevent yellowjackets from nesting in your yard? Here's how to tell if holes in your yard are the entrances to yellowjacket nests and what to do if they are.

Is That Hole a Yellowjacket Nest?

If you wander about your landscape looking for holes in your yard, you are sure to find more than a few. Yellowjackets nest underground and enter and exit by a small hole, usually about the size of a nickel.

But of course not every nickel-sized hole in the soil is going to be the revolving door to a wasp’s nest. A small hole might be a hole from an animal like a rodent. It could also be where you took out that stake from last year.

If the hole has piles of dirt, small rocks, or dead grass clippings around the entrance, that is more likely to hold yellowjackets. But there is one sure way of figuring out if a hole is one to watch out for.

Stand a solid distance away and watch the area during a warm summer afternoon. If you see a constant parade of small yellow-bodied wasps flying in and out of the hole, you’ve got yourself a yellowjacket problem.

How to Get Rid of Yellowjacket Nests

You can take steps to keep yellowjackets from choosing to live chez vous, like filling in old rodent holes you locate, keeping your garden free from garbage or yard debris, and cleaning every trace of food from your grill and picnic area.

But that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be free of these stinging insects. So if you note a nest location in the yard, here are some ideas for avoiding and safely battling yellowjackets in your yard.

1. Don’t use kamikaze tactics.

People may tell you to evict in-ground wasps by sticking a hose down the hole into the nest or some such, but it’s really not a great idea. Experts suggest that you don’t confront the wasps at all on your own.

Although they are not generally aggressive (e.g. they aren’t likely to swarm up and attack you while you are sunbathing), they will defend themselves if they feel attacked and defend their nest if you approach.

I got attacked once when I was weed-whacking in the area of a nest. One sting hurts and, unlike bees, a yellowjacket can sting multiple times. Call in experts if the nest is in a really bad location and must be moved for your family’s safety. Or you can try a yellowjacket trap like this one from Amazon.

2. Remove items that attract yellowjackets.

Yellowjackets don’t always just happen by. They are attracted into your yard for a variety of different reasons. By reducing or eliminating items that attract pests from your yard, you reduce your chances of having them nearby.

The things that attract yellowjackets include many different kinds of human food, especially anything with sugar in it, but also things like meat and fruit. Always clean up promptly and thoroughly after picnics and cookouts to wasp-proof your yard. This includes scrubbing down the grill and picnic table. Also, pick up and dispose of all fallen fruit since rotting fruit is full of sugars.

3. Secure garbage in bins.

Wasps are also attracted to garbage and compost. Sacks of garbage and open compost heaps may be sufficient to lure the yellowjackets to your property. This is especially true if your family consumes sugary beverages in cans, like sodas or even beer that end up in open garbage bins.

Put these temptations in bins instead of heaps. Get garbage cans with lids that attach firmly and instruct every member of your family to be sure the lids are fully shut every time.

Instead of an open compost heap, get a contained compost bin like this tumbler from Home Depot and keep it closed unless you are putting things in it. Many items that end up in the compost are sugary or juicy and therefore attractive to yellowjackets.

4. Provide an alternative habitat.

Yellowjackets sting, yes, but in many ways these wasps are beneficial insects. They eat (and get rid of) many other pests like unwanted caterpillars and aphids. Plus, they do some pollinating when they forage for nectar. If you can coexist with them, plant fall-blooming, nectar-rich perennials on the far side of your property to lure them yellowjackets from your patio.

What other flowers attract yellowjackets? Since they are especially hungry for plant nectary during late summer and autumn, pick flowers that appear in autumn. There are several fall-blooming flowers with shallow or open clusters that will appeal to yellowjackets. These include goldenrod, asters, catmint, salvia, yarrow, and sedum, which you can get from Nature Hills Nursery.

You know those roses that grocery stores and gas stations sell near the checkout? They tend to be the kind wrapped in cellophane, they cost about $6, and you buy them on impulse because you love the color or want to treat yourself. Unfortunately, what tends to happen is that you watch them die within a week. But what if you didn’t have to? What if you could turn that impulse purchase into a more permanent fixture in your yard?

Well, with a bit of potting soil and a little ingenuity, you can make this happen. It is possible to give those cut stems a second life as a blooming bush. Just grab a pair of garden scissors, snips or small shears, like the super-sharp Kings County Tools Pruning Shears from Amazon, and you too could be cultivating a gorgeous living rose display that lasts long after the original store-bought bouquet has gone.

This trick takes just minutes, and doesn’t need lots of previous rose-growing experience: just a sense of adventure and some delicate snips. You’ll be surprised how effectively you can propagate a rose that seemed destined to see out a few days in a vase. I’m actually super-annoyed I didn’t know about this sooner! Give this easy trick a shot – and that cheap bunch of blooms could very easily be coming up roses…

Can You Try Just Any Rose?

Being able to save a rose this way seems like the stuff of dreams. But I’ve been inspired by popular TikTok creator Joe’s Garden (@joesgarden), whose recent viral video showed me how simple it can be to make that unassuming bunch of roses live on… and on. However, before you start snipping away at every bouquet in sight, it pays to give your potential future rose bush a quick once-over in terms of general health.

Stem health is crucial for this trick to work. You need greenwood or semi-hardwood stems that are fresh, firm, and plump. Good signs include deep green leaves and active bumps at the nodes. You definitely don’t want stems that are dried out, woody, or mushy at the base. You’ll also want to avoid trying this trick on stems that might be showing signs of pests like powdery mildew. Pests can wipe out a summer cutting long before roots can develop.

If you’d like to get a closer look at the quality of your roses and potential areas for cutting, use a magnifying glass or loupe. A high-magnification tool like the Vivosun 30X Illuminated Jeweler’s Loupe with LED Light from Amazon can help you examine leaf nodes and check for microscopic signs of pests or spores before you start. Also, bear in mind that cuttings grown on their own roots might possess a slightly different growth habit than the original plant. But that’s part of the fun of the experiment!

1. Prep Your Rose Stems

Joe’s Garden uses the kind of everyday roses you’d grab at Trader Joe’s or your local grocery store: nothing fancy required (that’s the beauty of this trick). Once you’ve had a look at your rose stems and you're happy that a few are up for the challenge, here’s what you do. First (and this might feel gut-wrenching), you’ve got to snip off the flower head. Leave an inch or two (5cm) of stem below the bloom when making your cut.

To make those ultra-clean cuts without crushing the tender stem fibers, it’s important to use really sharp snips, shears, or bypass pruners. The last thing you want is to wreck your stem tissue at the first pass. For a real bargain, the highly rated Fiskars Titanium Micro-Tip Pruning Snips from The Home Depot are also perfect for delicate snips.

Once you’ve removed the head, cut off a couple of inches (5cm) from the bottom of the stem. What you’re left with is the middle section, with 2-3 healthy leaf sets. For a healthy root cutting, make a 45-degree cut above one of the leaf nodes (the bumps on the stem where the leaves emerge). The angled cut makes more surface area available for rotting and stop water from pooling around the cut end, which can cause it to rot.

Strip off the bottom leaves, leaving only the top set intact, so the plant can still photosynthesize without expending too much moisture. Too many leaves will cause the stem to dry out before any roots develop. You’re aiming for a stem length of 5-7 inches (12-17cm). If your original stem is really long, you can get a couple of usable cuttings from it.

2. Scrape Rose Stems (Optional But Worth It)

This next step, while optional, is still recommended. It could be the difference between a cutting that roots quickly, and one that just sulks for several weeks. Joe lightly scrapes the bottom inch of each stem to expose the inner layers. You can do this using the back edge of a knife, a pruner blade, or even your fingernail. For delicate scraping, scalpels work well. You can pick Med Pride Scalpels from Amazon for a good price to gently shave your cuttings.

The scraping should be just enough to rough up the outer layer and expose the green cambium underneath (where cell growth happens fastest). To boost your odds of rooting success, immediately coat that freshly exposed cambium layer with a concentrated rooting hormone or gel. The Garden Safe TakeRoot Hormone Powder from Walmart is specifically aimed at encouraging fast root development on hardwood and softwood cuttings.

If you want a natural alternative, some gardeners dip the stem into raw unpasteurized honey or fresh aloe vera gel, both of which possess natural antimicrobial properties. If you’re using powder, just tap off any excess rooting powder, and you’re ready for the next step.

3. Place Stems into Potting Medium

You need a good-quality compost for this next bit. That old, dried-out stuff from the back of the shed just won’t do it. So find a light, well-draining, and highly breathable medium blend. Our team rates Back to the Roots Organic Compost from Lowe’s, which gives you an ultra-clean, nutrient-rich base (and it’s also manure-free). To help with drainage, add a little coarse sand or perlite. Miracle-Gro Perlite from The Home Depot can help with air circulation around developing roots.

Fill up a medium-sized container with a fresh, sterile mix. Hopefully you should be able to fit a few cuttings in this container, depending on the size you use. Poke a hole in the medium using a pencil or stick first. This prevents the rooting powder from scraping off as you push the stem down. Then drop each prepared cutting 2-3 inches (8cm) deep. Space the cuttings a few inches apart so they have room to develop without competing.

In his viral video, Joe puts all of his cuttings together in the same spot in the garden, which is great if you have a sheltered, semi-shaded area to use. However, you might prefer to keep them in individual pots in different places to spread the risk, as it were. Wherever you place your pots, be sure to firm the soil gently around the stem to lock out air pockets, and water thoroughly until moisture drips out the drainage holes.

4. Wait for Growth and Nurture

Now comes the tough bit: waiting. Once your potted cuttings are settled in a warm, brightly lit location that receives indirect sunlight and a little afternoon shade, there’s not much more to do but wait. You can, if you like, create a little ambient humidity by placing a clear plastic bag over the top of your cuttings. This can help to accelerate root growth. But apart from that, this is when you need to step back. After 3-4 weeks, tiny green shoots will start to appear.

If you gently tug at a cutting at this point, you will hopefully feel resistance. Congratulations, that means you have root growth! Whatever you do, don’t pull them up to check: just trust the process. Keep the medium consistently moist, but never waterlogged. Once you see signs of growth, remove any plastic bags you may have placed over the cuttings.

Hold off on feeding until the plant has produced several sets of fresh true leaves. At this point, you can add a little gentle organic liquid kelp or seaweed that has been diluted to quarter-strength every few weeks. A nice gentle option is Neptune's Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer from Amazon. Once the new shoots are firmly visible and the roots show they are clearly establishing, it’s time for transplanting.

Plant them into a larger container or directly into a garden bed in a sunny spot with good drainage. Treat them very gently, and keep them thoroughly watered throughout their first season. You can also add a granular feed during the growing season once they are well established. A popular organic granular option is Espoma Organic Rose-Tone Plant Food from Walmart for sturdy stems and vibrant flowers.

Will They Flower?

Whether or not your rose cuttings flower in the first year is up to mother nature, and Joe is honest about this. Some cuttings do produce flowers in the first year, but others won’t. But as Joe points out, roses are perennials. This means they will come back every year, and each time they will be bigger and stronger than they previously were. Think of them as little human beings: we all start as babies, then grow into toddlers, teens, and so on. So if things seem a little uneventful in the first year, keep the faith.

Even if you do see flowers in the first year, it is best practice to pinch off any early flower buds. This forces the young plant to direct all of its energy into developing a bigger root system (for a better blooming display next time). Just be patient. Even if your first summer only produces leaves and stems, the next season can be spectacular. And it all started with a 6$ bouquet of roses from the grocery store. What a time to be alive, right?

Shop Rose Care Essentials

To give your grocery store rose experiment the best chance of transforming into a gorgeous outdoor shrub, a few little care essentials can make a massive difference. A curated action pack of inoculants, conditioners, and slow-release feeds will help to turn a simple cutting into a thriving rose bush. Here are our top hand-picked essentials to help things along.

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Plants that cost real money in spring can be had for nothing in late summer. August still offers usable softwood on plenty of shrubs and tender perennials, and six of them root easily enough for a first try.

Softwood is the current season's growth, judged by bending a stem until it breaks. A clean snap means it is ready. Anything that folds over without breaking is still too green. Anything that refuses to bend has gone woody. Most propagation advice points at June, and by August much of it has firmed toward semi-ripe. Plants that pushed a second flush after their first bloom still carry plenty of soft tips.

Rooting plant cuttings this late has one advantage: warmth. Plant cuttings that would have needed a heat mat in spring are ready to thrive now. Sharpen up your favorite pruners (we love the Corona sharpener from Amazon) and get snipping!

Cuttings to Take in August

Work in the morning while the stems are still full of water. A cutting wants to be around 4 inches (10cm) long, cut just below a node, with the lower leaves stripped. Use something sharp; crushed stems rot rather than root. Straight potting soil holds too much water, so half perlite from The Home Depot mixed through it drains better.

Two things need checking first. Patented cultivars cannot legally be propagated without a license, even at home. US plant patents run 20 years from filing, so anything long-established is free and clear. It's mostly the recent introductions — the branded reblooming hydrangeas, the newer coleus and calibrachoa series — where the tag matters. Enforcement targets commercial growers rather than private gardens, though the tag is worth a look.

Noxious weed listings are the second. Oregon prohibits propagating butterfly bush outright, and Washington quarantines it except for approved sterile cultivars.

1. Hydrangea

Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) root so readily that gardeners end up with spares. Choose a shoot that is not flowering, since blooming stems put their energy elsewhere. Cut the remaining leaves in half across the width. The hydrangea cutting loses less water that way and still photosynthesizes. Roots usually show inside three or four weeks. Pot them before winter and keep first-year plants sheltered, because young roots feel the cold more than the parent does. Panicle types respond just as willingly.

2. Butterfly Bush

Free plants are close to a guarantee. Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) strikes from softwood at almost any point in the season. Rooted cuttings put on real size in year one. Use 5-inch (13cm) tips from this year's wood, and roots come inside a month without hormone or bottom heat. Wood from a shrub hard-pruned in spring does best.

3. Lavender

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) sits at the edge of softwood by August, so the snap test earns its keep. Strip the bottom two-thirds of leaves and dip the cut end in Take Root rooting hormone from Amazon, which lifts the strike rate noticeably on woody-stemmed herbs. Keep the medium barely damp. Lavender rots faster than it dries. That reverses the usual advice about never letting anything wilt.

4. Rosemary

A glass of water on a windowsill will root rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), though those roots come out brittle and resent transplanting. Perlite gives a sturdier result. Use 4-inch (10cm) tips, then allow four to six weeks, since rosemary moves slower than most. What comes out is a plant that costs nothing and moves indoors ahead of frost.

5. Pelargonium

Bedding geraniums are not geraniums at all. Pelargonium (Pelargonium x hortorum) stays soft into August when the shrubs have hardened off. Tips strike in three to six weeks. Skip the hormone and let the cut end dry for a few hours first, because these rot more readily than they fail. Anyone in a cold zone gets the most from this one — rooted cuttings take far less windowsill space than the whole plant.

6. Coleus

Nothing about coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) is difficult. A snapped stem left in a jar of water throws roots in under a week. The leaf patterns hold true. Pinching the growing tip while cuttings come off makes the parent branch instead of stretching. Bring the rooted ones in before nights drop below 50F (10C). Stock plants will be waiting come spring.

Getting Cuttings to Root

Humidity is the whole game in August. A cutting has no roots. It keeps losing water through its leaves, so the air has to stay near saturated for two weeks. A seed starter tray with a humidity dome from Walmart handles that cheaply. A clear bag propped over a pot on sticks does the same job for free. Pelargonium is the exception, since it rots under cover.

Bright shade beats sun here. August light through a dome cooks cuttings fast, so the north side of a building or a spot under a tree suits better.

Test roots with a gentle tug rather than lifting anything out. Resistance means roots. Once they hold, open the dome wider each day for a week. A cutting moved straight into open air will wilt hard. Pot them up somewhere sheltered.

Next spring's garden will have cost a few afternoons and nothing else!

As gardeners, we're used to finding meaning in the natural world, whether that's through planting our birth flowers or following lunar calendars. But what if there was also a birth month groundcover for each month of the year?

Fine, I'll admit it: I've become slightly obsessed with these sorts of nature pairings. Birth month flowers (and the beautiful world of floriography) were only the beginning. Then came birth month trees. Birth month birds. Birth month animals. Somewhere along the way, I even found myself happily reading up on birth month bugs – something I never thought I'd type with a straight face.

The more I fell down the rabbit hole, the more one question kept nagging at me: what about the plants doing the hardest work in our gardens? Because groundcover plants rarely get the glory; nobody rushes outside to admire the thyme weaving between stepping stones or the creeping phlox spilling over a wall in quite the same way they admire a rose or peony, right?

And yet...

Well, and yet these hardworking plants quietly suppress weeds, protect the soil, feed pollinators and soften every corner they touch. They're the dependable backbone of countless beautiful gardens, basically, which is exactly why they make such surprisingly good personality matches.

All 12 Birth Month Groundcover Plants

Unlike towering trees or showstopping blooms, groundcover plants succeed by persistence rather than spectacle. Some spread with unstoppable determination, while others create harmony wherever they grow. A few positively thrive where everything else struggles. (Sound like anyone you know?).

So, if you've already discovered your birth month herb and know your birth month vine by heart, here's one more piece of botanical fun to add to the list. Here's your birth month groundcover plant – along with a little on what it might reveal about you.

January – Creeping Thyme

Creeping thyme happily grows between stepping stones, softens gravel paths, shrugs off dry spells, and releases the most wonderful scent whenever somebody walks across it. It never demands the spotlight, but somehow ends up tying the whole garden together.

That quiet determination? That ability to give and give while demanding very little in return? All of that is exactly why it's the perfect birth month groundcover plant for January, as people born in the year's first month are often described as ambitious, fiercely independent and natural leaders.

Creeping thyme reminds us that the strongest people don't always need to shout the loudest. Sometimes they simply keep showing up, one steady step at a time.

February – Creeping Phlox

Every spring, creeping phlox performs one of my favorite garden magic tricks when it erupts into an impossibly colorful carpet of pink, lavender, blue or white blooms that spills over walls and brightens entire borders.

It feels a wonderfully fitting birth month groundcover for optimistic February babes, as their imaginative souls are often underestimated until suddenly everyone sees what they've been quietly building all along.

Like creeping phlox, they prove that a little patience can lead to something spectacular. If you fancy it, you can pay tribute with an emerald-blue creeping phlox, a bold scarlet creeping phlox, or a pretty bicolored candy-stripe creeping phlox (my personal favorite!).

March – Calamint

March babies have long been famed as being thoughtful, compassionate, and the sort of people who quietly improve everyone's day without expecting applause. Enter stage left, then, their birth month groundcover plant: calamint!

Never demanding attention, it quietly produces hundreds of delicate flowers for months, drawing bees by the dozen while asking remarkably little in return. Hardy throughout USDA planting zones 5 to 8, it should look just like a fluffy cloud of blooms until the first frost.

Go for something like the Lesser Calamint from Nature Hills, then, to reap the benefits. (Don't let the name fool you; it's anything but lesser!).

April – Groundcover Rose

April needs a birth month groundcover plant with confidence, and you'd best believe these roses fit the bill! They tumble enthusiastically across banks and borders, producing wave after wave of flowers despite heat, rain and whatever else the season throws at them.

They're bold without being fussy, and icnredibly beautiful without being delicate. Two truths which perfectly sum up the sort of energy April personalities bring into a room, of course.

May – Candytuft

Candytuft (especially Alexander's White Candytuft) disappears beneath a blanket of crisp white flowers every spring before settling back into a neat mound of evergreen foliage that looks good long after the blooms have faded. It's reliable, unfussy, and happy to get on with the job without demanding much attention.

That makes it a fitting match for May personalities, who are often known for being patient, dependable, and wonderfully grounded. They're the people you can always count on, and much like candytuft itself, they prove that consistency is sometimes the most impressive quality of all.

June – Hardy Geranium 'Rozanne'

Some plants simply get along with everybody, just like a hardy geranium. This pretty birth month groundcover plant threads its way between neighboring perennials without bullying them, flowers for months on end, and somehow makes every planting scheme look a little softer and more relaxed.

Consider it the botanical equivalent of that one friend who can turn up to any party and immediately get everyone talking – and I'm willing to bet that person is a June baby, as they tend to be open-minded, witty and endlessly sociable. They're often the ones bringing people together without even trying, basically.

Channel this energy with a Rozanne Hardy Geranium from Nature Hills, I say! You won't regret it.

July – Periwinkle

Evergreen through much of the year, Bowles' periwinkle forms a dense carpet of glossy foliage that protects the soil in every season, before scattering cheerful violet-blue flowers across its leaves in spring. It's one of those hardworking groundcovers that quietly creates shelter, both for the garden itself and for the insects that call it home.

July-born gardeners are often said to share those same nurturing qualities. Caring, intuitive, and deeply loyal, they're the people who instinctively look after everyone else. Like periwinkle, they create calm and comforting spaces without ever asking for recognition (more than enough reason to invest in a Bowles' periwinkle from Nature Hills, then!).

August – Weigela

Low-growing weigelas don't believe in doing things by halves. When they flower, they're smothered in trumpet-shaped blooms that hummingbirds and other pollinators find almost impossible to resist. And, even after the flowers fade, many varieties continue putting on a show with colorful foliage that keeps borders looking lively for months.

August personalities have a similar presence to their birth month groundcover plant. Confident, warm-hearted, and natural leaders, they have a way of lifting the energy of every room they walk into – and, much like weigela, they rarely go unnoticed. Tune into that energy with a Very Fine Wine® Weigela from Nature Hills, stat.

September – Ajuga

Ajuga is the birth month groundcover plant that seems to appreciate order. Its tidy rosettes spread into dense carpets of colorful foliage, while neat spikes of blue flowers rise above them in late spring. It's remarkably effective at filling awkward gaps, suppressing weeds, and keeping everything looking polished with surprisingly little effort.

That attention to detail makes it a natural fit for September personalities. Analytical, hardworking, and wonderfully observant, they're often the first to notice the little things everyone else overlooks – and it's usually those little things that make all the difference. If you really want to ramp things up, pack in some extra visual interest with a Chocolate Chip Ajuga.

October – Dianthus

With its soft mounds of blue-green foliage and delicately fringed flowers, dianthus has a way of making every planting feel more balanced. It slips comfortably into cottage gardens, gravel gardens, and formal borders alike, complementing almost everything around it without ever overwhelming the display.

October babies (like yours truly) are often described in much the same way. Friendly, diplomatic, and naturally even-tempered, if I do say so myself, we have a talent for bringing people together and finding common ground. And, like dianthus, we prove that quiet charm can be every bit as memorable as bold displays, especially if you go for something as vivid as the Paint The Town Fuchsia Dianthus from Nature Hills!

November – Creeping Jenny

Give creeping Jenny a chance, and its bright golden foliage will tumble over walls, spill from containers, and quickly fill up bare patches of ground, bringing color to places that might otherwise be overlooked. In the right conditions, it's wonderfully enthusiastic – some gardeners would even say impossible to stop.

That's exactly why it suits November personalities so well. Strong-willed, passionate, and quietly determined, they're not the sort of people who give up when faced with an obstacle. Once they've decided on a direction, they keep moving until they get there (and this Golden Creeping Jenny from Nature Hills will prove that point a thousand times over if you let it!).

December – Sedum

Sedums seem to save some of their best moments for when the rest of the garden is beginning to slow down. Their fleshy leaves shrug off drought and poor soils, while late-season flower heads become magnets for bees and butterflies just as many other nectar sources are disappearing. And, even after flowering, the seed heads remain standing well into winter, adding structure long after the growing season has ended.

All of which means this birth month groundcover plant is a lovely match for December personalities, who are often known for their generosity, optimism, and adventurous spirit. Like sedum, they have a habit of bringing warmth and color just when it's needed most (particularly if you up the ante with a vivid SunSparkler® Dazzling Dynamite Sedum).

Shop Three More Genius Groundcover Plants:

Look, I'll admit that I really love the idea that we aren't always reflected by the biggest, brightest flowers. Because sometimes they're better represented by the plants working away beneath our feet, holding everything together without asking for much credit.

Think of them as the strong foundations of any garden... and any personality, too!

Gravel is an elegant and affordable option for a driveway, but there’s one big drawback: weeds. If you have a gravel driveway, then you know the constant battle against unwanted weeds popping up between the stones. But there’s a simple tool that solves this problem fast.

There seem to be an unlimited amount of tools and products to control weeds in gravel, but how do you know which ones actually work and are worth the money? Look no further, because our team of gardening experts have found the perfect tool for the job.

The Fiskars Ergo Hand Weeder, which is available right now for around $9 on Amazon, can easily eliminate all the weeds in your gravel driveway. Here’s why it’s the best tool for the job and how to use it. Plus, it’s great for the garden, too! I used it to stop tough weeds in my vegetable beds last summer.

Why This Tool Works Well for Gravel

One of the biggest draws of the Fiskars Ergo Hand Weeder, which is also available from Walmart and Ace Hardware for under $10, is its ergonomic design. It has an easy-to-hold rubberized handle that makes weeding accessible even for people with arthritis.

The thick, strong cast-aluminum head is another great feature of this product. It’s what allows me to quickly pull mature perennial weeds out of my vegetable garden using the same tool.

When I use this unique weeding tool in the grass to pull dandelions or in my garden to get rid of stubborn weeds, it takes a bit of force to wedge the tines down far enough into the soil to grip the taproot. But in a gravel driveway, gravel path, or garden with gravel mulch, it’s even easier. You can simply slip the tines down amongst the gravel stones and pull out the weed with little effort.

In addition to the ergonomic design and durability of this hand weeding tool, it also has a hole in the handle that allows you to hang it on a nail or hook in your garden shed. This handy weeder will fit right into your gardening tool arsenal.

What Gardeners Are Saying

From using this hand weeder myself in my yard and vegetable garden, I understand all the rave reviews from the other Amazon users. This tool earned 4.5 stars from over 3,400 reviews.

Many users note the effectiveness, quality, durability, and ease of use as the best features of this tool and I agree. Fiskars is one of my go-to gardening tool brands for both quality and affordability.

The only downside I have for this product is that you have to be at ground level to use it. The ergonomic handle is easy to hold and use, but the problem is that you have to crouch, bend, squat, or kneel down to reach the weeds to use it.

That’s why long-handled weeding tools, like the Grampa’s Weeder (another of my favorites), are great choices for gardeners with back or knee pain or accessibility issues. But if you just have a handful of weeds in your gravel driveway and no limiting physical issues, this tool should work just fine.

How to Get Rid of Weeds in a Gravel Driveway

To use the Fiskars Ergo Hand Weeder, slip the tines of the aluminum head at the base of the weed on either side of the main root. Many types of common weeds have a single deep taproot, so it’s easy to find the main root you need to hook.

Once you find the root, simply tilt back the handle towards you to pry up the weed and pull it out of your gravel driveway. It’s as easy as that! Just move onto the next weed and repeat the process until your drive is free of all unwanted weeds.

It’s best to remove weeds when they are small. The number one worst weeding mistake you can make is letting weeds get too big. But even if you ignore sprouts popping up in your driveway for a while, this tool is strong enough to pull out mature perennial weeds. It just makes it a much easier job to remove weeds when they’re younger and have less extensive root systems. It’s also good to remove weeds after rain when the ground is softer, but this doesn’t matter as much in a gravel driveway.

Now I'm using old cardboard boxes to mulch my vegetable patch this summer, my plants are flourishing despite the heat, I spend far less time watering and weeding, and I don’t have to deal with cat poop. It took an hour to do, and didn’t cost me a penny. And even though I only mulched this raised bed a week ago, I've already saved more time than it took to lay the cardboard. So from now on, I’ll be making cardboarding an essential part of growing vegetables in my garden – and yes, I do think this brilliant DIY gardening trick deserves a new word.

As a gardening editor, I get to read piles of garden articles and my feeds spill with greenery and gardening hacks. I read an article about using cardboard boxes to smother weeds and start new beds; then I read another about using cardboard as a mulch to lock moisture in the soil, and I was intrigued.

You see, my veggie bed was in dire need of help this El Niño summer. Exposed and south-facing, my garden had withstood 8 weeks with zero rainfall and was reliant on my irrigation which, 2 weeks into a hosepipe ban, had become more erratic than ever. I'd been so busy that, in my vegetable patch, weeds had grown so tall they were flowering and seeding. And the one area of bare earth? My cats had adopted it as their favorite poop spot.

I had a bunch of cardboard boxes waiting to be recycled, so I decided to give this eco-friendly, biodegradable mulching idea a go. And honestly, laying a cardboard mulch is the best thing I’ve done all summer. As well as the expected benefits, the cardboard layer means I can (literally) throw buckets of water onto the veggie bed without worrying about washing soil away, so it (literally) takes me a minute to irrigate the entire patch. Earth has already accumulated around the necks of holes cut to accommodate plants, creating pools that hold water so more gets to the roots where it's needed. My free mulch looks pretty good, too.

I'm sharing exactly how I did it, because I reckon you should, too – honestly, it's been a game-changer for growing vegetables in a hot summer.

1. Pull Out the Worst Weeds

While the cardboard will quickly smother seedling weeds, I pulled all the perennial weeds such as thistles and nettles, as well as annual weeds that had grown big. Because my garden is next to a hay field, all sorts of seeds blow in, and my bucket was soon filled with an A–Z of weeds. I even discovered a self-seeded poppy.

2. Flatten and Prep Boxes

I flattened the boxes and removed all the packaging tape and address labels from the cardboard. I didn't want chemicals from these leaching into the soil, or plastic that wouldn't break down, and removing them also made the cardboard more porous.

3. Lay the Cardboard on the Soil

I laid sections of cardboard on the soil surface, cutting holes to fit around the plants and doing my best to overlap the edges by a couple of inches. Because this is a raised bed, the cardboard didn't need weighing down to keep it in place; if my veg patch was a bed in the ground, I'd put a few stones along the edges of the cardboard stop the wind getting beneath it.

4. Water Thoroughly

I threw a fair few gallons of water onto the cardboard, both to hydrate the bed but also to wet the cardboard so it softened, molded itself closer to the soil surface and all the sections stuck together where they overlapped.

Before and After

Here’s a photo I took before I started, with the weeds out-competing my poor veggies for moisture (the shame!):

Here’s a photo I took an hour later, once I’d finished.

Is the Cardboard Mulch Working?

Definitely. The good news is that since I mulched my vegetable patch with cardboard, the plants are doing better than ever, though I'm spending far less time watering. I haven’t seen a single cat poop, either, and I can't tell you how happy I am about that.

In the week since I laid the cardboard, the corn has started fruiting.

The cucumber has thrown out several new stems.

Even the artichokes – which I thought the heat had killed off – have started shooting from their bases.

I’d really recommend using cardboard to mulch vegetable beds. In my garden, the cardboard mulch is doing a great job of suppressing weeds and it’s saving me so much time watering in this heatwave weather. Even when the top surface of the cardboard looks totally dry, when I lift a corner the soil below is still nice and moist. All the worms seem super-happy, too. The cardboard will slowly break down to improve the soil structure and next year, I won’t have to bother cutting around the plants either, as I’ll be cardboarding before I sow, leaving a criss-cross of gaps.

I already add shredded cardboard to my compost heap but using it as a mulch, too, works wonders. As I practise no-dig gardening in this bed, the cardboard doesn't cause me any issues and, in spring, I'll simply lay my usual layer of compost mulch over the top. I'll be trying this mulching method on my shrub border, too, laying cardboard before I tip over a layer of compost, to beef up its weed suppressing and water conserving abilities. As gardening tips go, laying a cardboard mulch has been a real game-changer for me.

More Biodegradable Mulches

Just in case you’re wondering, the self-seeded poppy survived the cardboarding process!

After weeks of relentless heat and drought, my garden borders are exhausted. But a well-chosen plant pairing can inject new life and keep the momentum going into fall. One of my favorite ways to bridge the late-summer-to-fall gap is to combine black-eyed Susan and red hot poker. Mixing vivid color with two very different flower shapes, these easy-to-grow perennials can bring back some of that lost intensity.

The delightful, daisy-like flowers of black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) create a soft, golden mound, while the dazzling spikes of red hot poker (Kniphofia) rise up above the border like blazing torches. Together, they add fullness, height, and contrast without making the planting feel excessive. The combination looks sunny and joyful in August, while transitioning into an autumnal vibe as September arrives.

Several variety pairings can work here, but my top picks for this combo are Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’, available to order online from Garden Goods Direct, and Pyromania ‘Rocket’s Red Glare’ red hot poker, available from Plant Addicts. The kniphofia’s tall flower spikes open from warm red buds into creamy peach blooms, creating a fiery contrast with the rudbeckia’s golden flowers.

And it’s not all about looks – this is also a pairing that works practically. Both plants thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and their flowering periods overlap to help extend the season from midsummer through mid-fall.

Why Black-Eyed Susan and Red Hot Poker Look So Good Together

Linked by their warmth of coloring, black-eyed Susan and red hot poker provide clear contrast without competing for attention. The golden yellow of the rudbeckia echoes the red, orange, and yellow tones of the red hot poker, creating a warm palette that carries the border across the seasons. The dark centers of the black-eyed Susan flowers are important, too, breaking up all that brightness and adding depth to the look.

For the strongest effect, use Rudbeckia as the lower, fuller layer, with Kniphofia positioned behind it or allowed to rise at intervals through the drift. Structurally, each plant plays its part, as black-eyed Susan gives volume and continuity, while the spikes of red hot poker give vertical accents that draw the eye upward.

Choose a repeat-flowering red hot poker to ensure fresh flower spikes continue appearing well beyond midsummer. As well as Pyromania Rocket’s Red Glare red hot poker, other good options include Pyromania Backdraft, Orange Vanilla Popsicle, and Orange Blaze, available at Plant Addicts.

Alternative black-eyed Susans that work in this pairing include the ever-popular 'Goldsturm', available at Walmart, as well as 'Early Bird Gold', and ‘Little Goldstar’

Avoid planting this pairing in a strict alternating row, which can look fussy and contrived. Loose groupings and irregular repetition will create a more natural-looking layered garden design.

How to Grow Them Together

For this combination to perform at its best, you need to plant them in a full-sun location in well-draining soil that has a little moisture retention. The plants’ hardiness ranges also overlap in USDA zones 6–9, and neither requires radically different care that could make the partnership difficult to maintain.

Water both plants moderately while they establish their roots; once settled, they have reasonable drought tolerance and should not need too much watering – though they will flower better if not allowed to stay dry for prolonged periods. Rudbeckia is more forgiving of consistently moist soil, while kniphofia is particularly sensitive to waterlogged ground.

For a small border, position one red hot poker plant slightly behind or off-center from a loose triangle of three rudbeckias, leaving enough room for each plant to reach its mature spread.

In a larger bed, repeat the grouping two or three times along the border, varying the spacing and position slightly.

Deadhead both plants regularly to encourage further flowers. It’s a good idea to leave some Rudbeckia seed heads standing toward the end of fall. They provide texture through winter and offer seeds for visiting birds.

Look after your rose plants in August and you’ll be richly rewarded with plenty more blooms. If your rose is a rebloomer or a repeat flowerer, the right care now can keep these shrubs flowering into fall, right up till the first frost. But even if your rose variety only provides a single flush of flowers that’s already over, good August rose care is vital: without it, too little water and late-summer diseases can threaten long-term plant health.

Roses use a heap of energy in summer, growing flowers and then hundreds of seeds, safely encased in shapely rosehips. Add in the heat stress of this El Niño summer, and you can understand why roses require your support in August. Neglect your plants now and they may cut their flowering period short, or succumb to an unsightly – and sometimes fatal – fungal rose disease. Feed them too late, and you’ll encourage growth that won’t survive winter temperatures. But with the right nurturing, many rose varieties will flower for months more, and all roses will enter winter dormancy strong and healthy.

Giving roses what they need in August is easy, whatever type you’re growing and in whichever zone. Ready to get started? Here’s everything you need to know to get the best possible results.

1. Water Deeply to Improve Drought Tolerance as Well as Hydration

Keeping your plants hydrated should be at the top of your to-do list when it comes to what roses need in August. It's important to water deeply, however. Established roses will have grown a deep root system, stretching up to three feet down into the ground and, there are shallow feeder roots nearer the soil surface, it’s these lower roots that you should target with your irrigation. So, it’s far better to water established roses thoroughly, once a week, than it is to give them a light watering every day.

Less mature roses will need watering more often, but you should still aim to water deeply, to encourage those roots to delve down in their search for moisture as that will make them more drought-tolerant. Deep root systems will also help fix your shrubs in the ground, reducing wind-rock once fall storms arrive.

Roses in containers will also need watering more often but still, water deeply, until you see water draining from the drainage holes.

Aiming to water the ground at the base of the rose, rather than the plant itself, in early morning so any splashed leaves dry quickly, significantly reduces the risk of disease. A long watering wand that fits to a hosepipe such as this telescopic 36”-60” wand with a ratcheting head from Walmart makes that easy to do while you’re standing well clear of the thorns.

2. Remove Faded Flowers – But Leave Some for Rosehips

Deadheading roses stops the plant from wasting energy on seed production and redirects it into new growth, so this is a key part of how to keep roses flowering into fall. And even rebloomers should be deadheaded: while they’ll still flower if you don’t, you’ll get more blooms if you do.

Now, many roses produce beautiful rosehips which not only bring great fall color but provide winter food for birds. Small seed-eating birds like finches will perch on the shrub to feed, while bigger birds like blackbirds will wait till frost has softened the outer case and the hips have fallen to the ground before eating the seeds. So, before you deadhead, think about whether or not you want rosehips, as removing the final flush of faded flowers will prevent them forming.

If you’ve got a rebloomer or repeat flowering rose, you don’t need to worry – there are plenty more blooms to come. But if your rose is done flowering for the year, leave some faded blooms in place to form rosehips.

Use a pair of hand pruners – and do sharpen blades first as it’s a two-minute task and clean cuts are far easier for plants to heal – and cut the faded flower stem just above the first set of leaves below it. If your rose flowers in clusters, wait until all have bloomed then cut the stem below.

If you’re going on holiday, you can remove all the open flowers, not just the faded ones, and you’ll return to a heap of fresh buds just about to open.

3. Improve Airflow to Avoid Late-Summer Diseases

As we roll into late summer, more humidity and heavier dews in hot spells can create ideal conditions for common rose diseases including black spot, powdery mildew and rust. Good rose health is your number one guard against disease, as a happy, well-hydrated plant is far less susceptible. But hot on its heels is airflow. Good air circulation around a plant cuts damp spots where fungal diseases flourish, and it’s easy to achieve.

A well-pruned plant has far better airflow through it, but August isn’t the time to prune roses. You can, however, improve conditions now by regularly deadheading and removing any dying foliage, weeding the ground around the rose, and trimming any spring- or summer-flowering perennials that may have encroached on its space.

Regularly removing any dying leaves also gives you the opportunity to check for early signs of disease so you can act early. In August, look out for:

• Rapidly enlarging dark purple or black patches on the top side of leaves, sometimes with a bright yellow ring around them. These are signs of black spot on roses (above).
• Scabby, dark or purplish patches on young stems, also common indicators of black spot.

• A white or grey powdery coating on the leaves, stems and buds. This is likely powdery mildew (above).
• Stunted new growth is another sign of powdery mildew, and you may see the edges of young leaves curling upwards into a boat shape, and fresh stems might appear deformed.

• Small yellow spots on the top of the leaf, with orange or dark pustules in the same place on the underside, are signs of rust (above).
• Leaves discoloring and/or being dropped prematurely can be caused by any of these diseases.

Catch any of these diseases early and they’re easy to deal with. Pick off all diseased leaves and prune any severely infected stems, disinfecting pruners with isopropyl alcohol between each and every cut. Rake up all fallen leaves from the base of the plant, too. Dispose of this infected plant material in your household waste bin, not your home compost heap.

Practise this good plant hygiene, and there’s no need to routinely spray for disease prevention.

4. Move Roses in Pots to a Shadier Spot

In relentless summer temperatures, heat-stressed roses can stop blooming as plants prioritize basic survival over bud production. Plants in pots are particularly susceptible as the smaller volume of soil they’re growing in loses moisture and heats up much faster than the ground. So, even if you’re watering patio pots properly, you may not be rewarded with flowers.

The best solution to protect roses from scorching heat is to move containers to a spot that still enjoys morning sun but is shaded from the intense midday and early afternoon rays. Either physically move the pot, or position a container umbrella or privacy screen to cast a shadow when the sun is at its strongest. Remember you need to shade the container as well as the plant.

It’s also worth grouping potted plants together as this also lowers local temperatures.

5. Feed Rebloomers to Fuel More Flowers – But Know When to Stop

If you’ve been feeding your rose all through summer, it’s tempting to carry on through August. But you should only fertilize at this point in the year if your rose is a repeat flowerer or rebloomer, continuously throwing out new flowers or enjoying a second late-season flush. And then, it’s vital you choose a high-potassium feed.

Feeding roses that are done blooming for the year, or feeding any rose a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen in August, will encourage leafy new growth that won’t have time to harden before the winter. The result? Stressed plants and damaged stems you’ll simply have to prune anyway in early spring.

If your rose is still blooming in August, it’s almost certainly a rebloomer or repeat-flowerer, so you can safely feed it. Choose a soluble liquid feed that’s high in potassium, tailored for rose or flower production. To check that it's high in potassium, look at the three numbers on the packaging; the last number should be the highest. Check even if it's a rose food as those designed for spring use are too high in nitrogen (indicated by the first number) to be applied in August.

Heed dilution instructions as too high a concentration can cause fertilizer burn, particularly in hot summer weather. Rather than applying the feed close to the base of the plant, target the dripline of the plant – that’s the ground beneath the outer diameter of the plant, where rain would fall – as this is where those feeder roots are concentrated. A watering can with a head that can be angled downwards makes it easier not to splash the feed on the leaves, which can cause scorching.

If you feel your rose could do with a pick-me-up and it’s done blooming for this year, or you’re not sure if it’s a rebloomer or repeat flowerer, treat it to a low dose of seaweed tonic. That will boost root growth but won’t trigger any fresh leafy stems at this point in the year.

Don't feed roses past mid-August or you’ll interfere with the plant’s natural signals to slow down and enter dormancy over winter.

And that's it, you're done! August rose care is all about supporting plants through the stress of summer heat, while not overdoing it so as to interrupt their natural slide into dormancy in late fall. Keep roses properly hydrated, deadheaded, fed appropriately and shaded from intense sun, while taking steps to avoid late-summer diseases, and your plants will stay happy and healthy. Do these essential rose care tasks and, if your rose is a rebloomer or a repeat flowerer, you'll be rewarded by flushes of fresh blooms, week after week.

The soil is still warm. August feels like the tail end of the growing season, which is exactly why the beds get abandoned early. Six vegetables sown now mature fast enough to fill a harvest basket before frost arrives.

Midsummer gardens start looking tired around now, and it's tempting to let the beds coast into fall. Warm soil speeds up germination, though. Shortening days work in favor of anything grown for leaves or roots. Plenty of crops planted in August will still hit maturity while the weather holds.

Match days to maturity against the average first frost date, then pad that number a little. Cold weather crops handle a light freeze without complaint. Several of them taste better after one. Anything tender has to finish before cold sets in for good, so the fast growers go in first.

Fast Crops Worth Sowing Now

Seed packet advice assume decent conditions. Fall hands out shorter days plus a cooling seedbed, so adding a week or two to that number keeps expectations reasonable.

Soil that is above 85F (29C) will stall germination on a few of these. A soil thermometer from Walmart settles that question in about half a minute.

1. Bush Beans

Most gardeners file beans under summer and leave it there. Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) go from seed to picking in roughly 50 days, though, so an August sowing lands comfortably ahead of frost across a lot of the country. Germination in warm ground can happen inside of three days. Beans will not tolerate freezing, at all. The countdown matters here more than it does for the hardier crops. Pick young and pick often.

2. Radishes

Three or four weeks is the whole run from sowing to pulling, which barely counts as a commitment. Radishes (Raphanus sativus) slot into gaps between slower crops. Fall roots come out milder than spring ones — the heat that turns them sharp and woody is on its way out by then. Sow a short row every couple weeks instead of the whole packet at once, or everything sizes up together and half of it splits before anyone gets around to pulling it.

3. Carrots

Timing gets tighter here, since even the quicker carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) want 60 to 70 days. Southern gardens have room for that. Northern ones are cutting it close unless the bed gets covered later on. Germination is the fussy part — seed sits shallow and dries out fast under an August sun, so the top inch (2.5cm) has to stay damp for a good stretch. A length of shade cloth from Amazon over the row takes some pressure off the daily watering. The cover comes off once the seedlings are through.

4. Beets

Two harvests come off one planting, since the greens are worth eating long before the roots size up. Thinning plants go straight into a pan. Beets (Beta vulgaris) want 50 to 60 days for a decent root. After that they hold in the ground through several frosts, sweetening while they sit. Crowding happens no matter how carefully the sowing goes — what looks like a single seed is really a cluster. Thin to about 3 inches (8cm) once the seedlings are up.

5. Broccoli

Seed started this late will not head up in time anywhere north of the Gulf. Transplants are the practical route for broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica). Nurseries stock them for exactly that reason. Heat stress on a young plant causes buttoning — a tiny useless head, then nothing. Shade during the first week after setting out is closer to mandatory than optional. Cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni) are still working in late summer and can strip a young plant fast, so netting goes on early rather than after the damage shows. Side shoots keep coming after the main head is cut.

6. Kale

Frost improves kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica). Not much else in the garden can claim that. The flavor shifts from harsh to mild over a single cold snap — cold triggers sugar production in the leaves, a rough antifreeze. Plants set out now have time to bulk up first. Harvest from the bottom leaves upward and the same plant keeps producing into winter in milder zones. That last part is reason enough on its own.

Getting the Timing Right

Counting backward from the average first frost date is the whole method. Take the maturity number and add ten to fourteen days for the fall slowdown. Count back from there. Anything landing past the date needs either a shorter crop or some help.

Help is cheap. A floating row cover from The Home Depot thrown over the bed on a cold night holds a few degrees. A few degrees is often the difference between losing a bean planting and getting another two weeks out of it. It's a hedge against a bad week, not a season extension in itself.

Frost dates are averages anyway — the first hard freeze can turn up well ahead of schedule, so watching the forecast through October pays off. Plant a little more than seems reasonable, and the fall table tends to take care of itself.

New to using a chainsaw? Let’s be honest, it might seem a bit daunting. Holding a chainsaw for the first time can make even the most enthusiastic gardener feel a surge of nervous adrenaline. That sudden kick of motor power, the awareness of serious slicing ability working at speed, and then there’s the noise – it’s enough to make anyone stop in their tracks.

But knowing how to use a chainsaw can be a game-changer in the backyard, and it’s not that tricky to master the basics. Once you have a handle on the basic mechanics, safety habits and correct handling, that initial hesitation quickly gives way to the thrill of highly efficient backyard cuts. Chainsaws are essential gardening tools to help you blitz through gardening projects, so it’s well worth getting acquainted. Whether you’re cutting firewood or trimming small trees, they are a real time-saver.

Armed with clear techniques, safety fundamentals, and proper preparation, operating a chainsaw can be one of the most rewarding tasks in the yard. So, here’s how to make smooth, satisfying (and safe!) cuts with your new best gardening friend.

Getting Started

If you’ve spent any time tackling yard work with a manual bow saw or loppers, you already know the exhaustion that can come with it. What starts as a simple pruning job often turns into a blisters-and-backache endurance test. Upgrading to a chainsaw can transform your gardening capabilities. Perhaps the toughest bit is getting your head around their sheer force, speed and slicing potential.

It helps to recognize that fear for what it really is: healthy respect. Your hesitation is simply your brain reminding you that you're handling a serious piece of equipment. The key to replacing that anxiety with confidence comes down to two things: setting up a controlled environment, and letting the machine do the hard labor for you. Before you touch the power switch, prepare your workspace.

Clear away trip hazards like loose vines or garden hoses. Make sure you have a solid, level footing, and a clear path to step back if a branch falls. If you are able to, it’s well worth investing in a dedicated cutting stand, work frame, or saw horse, like the WorkPro Folding Saw Horse from Amazon. Working on a firm, elevated surface is safer, protects your chain, and keeps you working at a back-friendly height. Then you're ready to start your chainsaw adventure, taking this one step at a time…

1. Safety First

Always wear protective gear, as it's your primary shield against flying wood chips and unexpected slips. Hearing protection, such as noise-canceling earmuffs, is essential when running power tools. For eye protection, lightweight wrap-around options like Hyper Tough Clear Safety Glasses from Walmart give you distortion-free visibility while keeping fine sawdust and stray splinters out of your eyes.

Protect your arms and legs from flying debris with heavy long sleeves and thick pants. If you want maximum reassurance, investing in dedicated leg protection like Forester Chainsaw Chaps from Amazon is a smart move. Their cut-retardant fibers are designed to instantly snag a moving chain and stop it in its tracks if a blade strays. Round out your gear with heavy-duty gloves and sensible, high-traction steel-toe or thick leather boots to keep your footing solid.

Being safe isn’t just about what you wear, though. It’s also about setting up your space and inspecting your machine. Clear a 10-foot (3m) perimeter around your workspace, and make sure children and pets are safely indoors. Inspect your chainsaw to ensure the bar oil reservoir is topped off and the chain brake engages smoothly. Never attempt to cut loose wood rolling on the ground. If you're trimming short branches or sizing down offcuts, clamp the wood into a sturdy tool like the WorkPro 4.5-Inch Swivel Bench Vise from Amazon, mounted on your workbench to keep it immobile.

2. Picking the Right Chainsaw

Choosing your first chainsaw is about finding the right balance between cutting capacity, weight, and personal comfort level. A saw that feels too heavy or unwieldy will quickly cause fatigue. And if you get tired, you’re more likely to make mistakes. Before looking at power sources, take a realistic look at your property's immediate needs. Are you clearing thin, overgrown branches once or twice a season, or are you regularly bucking thick hardwood logs for winter fuel?

You no longer have to default to heavy, loud, gas-guzzling machines. There are options for every comfort zone, from nimble one-handed tools to high-torque battery rigs. To help you pick the right cutting tool, the choice falls into one of these categories:

• Mini or Pruning Chainsaws: Exceptionally light (often 3-5 lbs) and battery-powered. Perfect for trimming overgrown shrubs, cutting back thick perennial stalks, and slicing branches up to 3 inches (8cm) thick.
• Battery-Powered Cordless Chainsaws: Quiet, low-maintenance, and emission-free. They start instantly with the pull of a trigger and deliver enough torque to cut medium-sized firewood and fallen branches without dealing with gas mixtures.
• Gas-Powered Chainsaws: Designed for heavy-duty timber cutting and storm cleanup. They offer endless runtime (as long as you have fuel), but demand more physical strength, routine motor maintenance, and pull-start operation.

Chainsaws for Beginners

If you’re shopping for your first chainsaw, the secret is matching the power source to your projects, while prioritizing safety and simple starting mechanisms. These stand-out saws strike the perfect balance between user-friendly design and cutting-edge performance.

3. How to Make Smart Cuts

Mastering your stance is the secret to feeling in complete command of the saw. Never stand directly behind the cutting path. Position yourself slightly to the left side of the machine so that if the saw moves unexpectedly, it clears your torso. Keep your elbows slightly flexed rather than locked rigid to absorb engine vibration.

Don’t forget those gloves. If you are looking for an upgrade on your current set or they are looking a little flimsy for chainsaw work, make sure you get something sturdy yet flexible. Try Husky Grain Cowhide Leather Impact Work Gloves from The Home Depot for thick knuckle padding and a textured palm grip. Hold your chainsaw firmly, with the front handle in your left hand and the rear in the right.

Wrap your fingers around the handles to hold the device steady and improve your control. Stand slightly to one side with your feet hip-width apart for stability. Aim to slowly lower the bottom of the blade onto the wood. Resist the temptation to exert too much pressure, though: let the chainsaw do the work for you.

For limbing, work from the base of the trunk upward, keeping the log between you and the blade when possible. For bucking, evaluate where the wood is under tension so your blade doesn't get pinched.

Approaching the branch, bring the engine up to full speed before touching the wood. Rest the bumper spikes (the metal teeth near the base of the bar) firmly against the log to act as a lever. Allow the weighted rotation of the chain to draw itself into the wood naturally. Forcing or pressing down on the bar stalls the motor and damages the chain teeth. Let this machine do the hard work: that’s what it’s designed for.

NB: Chainsaws are designed exclusively for right-handed operation, regardless of whether the user is left or right-handed. The left hand must always hold the front handle, and the right hand must always operate the rear trigger handle.

4. Understand and Prevent Kickback

Kickback occurs when the moving chain at the upper tip of the guide bar (the kickback zone) strikes a hard object or gets pinched, causing the saw to jerk upward toward you. You can minimize this risk by cutting with the middle or lower section of the bar rather than the tip. Keep an eye out for hidden fencing, roots, or neighboring branches. That proper posture is key, so keep your left hand locked on the front handle and right hand on the trigger, with your body safely out of the blade path.

A properly tensioned, sharp chain is far less prone to sagging, catching, or pinching mid-cut. Before powering up, check for chain sag and adjust the bar nuts to keep movement smooth and predictable. A handy tool for this is the OSROENE Multi-Tool Universal Scrench Spanner Wrench Set from Amazon, an inexpensive, all-in-one tool. This fits most standard bar nuts and makes quick, precise chain adjustments right in the yard.

5. Aftercare and Maintenance

Simple routine maintenance keeps your saw running smoothly, extends its working lifespan, and ensures every cut remains clean and effortless. A well-maintained saw is also fundamentally safer to use. Setting up a quick chainsaw checklist for easy maintenance makes all the difference. Immediately after use, disconnect the power (remove the battery pack or pull the spark plug cap).

Wipe down the guide bar to prevent rust, brush away wood dust and sticky resin from the bar groove and oil inlet holes, and top off the chain lubricant reservoir so it is ready for your next project. When storing your saw, remove the battery or add a stabilizer to gas tanks, keeping the unit in a dry, climate-controlled space.

Check your chain tension regularly. It should fit snugly against the bar with no more than an eighth-of-an-inch sag, while still pulling smoothly around the bar by hand. Finally, touch up dull cutting teeth with an angled round file or sharpener whenever you notice the saw producing fine dust instead of clean wood chips. Keep an eye on this, and your chainsaw will keep grafting for you for years to come.

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Unless you are the kind of person who always expects disasters to happen, you probably don’t lie awake at night wondering if your neighbor’s tree is going to fall into your yard. But this very real scenario does happen, especially during hurricanes and ice storms – and it could just as easily be your tree falling into a neighbor’s yard.

Unlike the hypothetical tree falling unheard in a forest, your neighbor is very likely to hear your tree as it crashes down on their house or garden. Whether this is caused by storm damage to trees or something else, one of the first questions that comes up is, “Who pays for the damage when a tree falls?”

There is a very clear, two-word answer to this question: It depends. Below are a few commonplace scenarios and how to handle them to ensure both you and your neighbor take the proper responsibility when one of your trees falls into the other's yard.

1. Damage Due to Acts of God

Perhaps the most common reason that healthy trees fall in a neighborhood is weather. A severe storm, a very strong wind, or a lightning strike can impact a tree on your property, causing it to fall onto the neighbor’s property. If a storm, blizzard, or other “act of God” uprooted the tree or sent a large branch to the ground, you will probably not be liable.

Although the tree started out on your property and ended up on the neighbor’s, it wasn’t your fault. You don’t control the weather! In this case, the neighbor will be responsible for any damages to his property. If their home or outbuildings were damaged, the neighbor can usually submit a claim to their homeowner’s insurance carrier.

Likewise, any damage to their car from your tree in this circumstance should be submitted to their own auto insurer. If neither car nor structure was hit, the costs of removing the tree usually fall on your neighbor.

2. Damage Due to Your Negligence

On the other hand, if the tree that fell was dead, diseased, or rotting and you knew about it, you may be found liable both for the damages done and for the cost of removing the tree. Yes, in this case, financial responsibility depends on the health of the tree prior to the fall and what you knew it was unwell.

Your neighbor will have to prove to a court that you were negligent in this way if they sue you for damages. But if they sent you a letter or text about the unhealthy condition of the tree before it fell, that would probably be enough. Likewise, if they had a conversation with you about the hazard, this might also be sufficient, especially if a second person also heard the conversation.

3. Damage From Shared Trees

The general law is that a tree belongs to you if the tree trunk stands on land you own. That is the case even if the current owner of the property did not plant the tree, but inherited it from another owner. However, it may be harder to prove that you knew a tree was unhealthy if the tree was not planted by you and it simply came with the house.

But what happens if the tree trunk is growing right on the property line? If any part of the trunk is on the neighbor’s property, the tree is considered shared. This scenario is a little like joint custody of kids in a divorce. The two neighbors have to negotiate the tree maintenance. Neither can trim, treat, or cut down the tree without the other’s permission and both are jointly responsible for any damage it does to either person's property.

4. Damage From Extending Branches

A neighbor can take matters into their own hands if they see a large branch extending over the property line. The general rule is that a neighbor can prune off extending branches whether or not they appear in danger of falling. They can trim them up to the property line, but not over it, as long as they don’t damage the tree or go onto the adjoining property.

Any trimming that is on the owner’s side of the property boundary line will, in some states, make the neighbor liable to the owner for several times the amount of actual damages. If this trimming kills the tree, actual damages in a court case may include the price for replacing a mature tree, which can be quite expensive.

Tips to Keep You Out of Trouble

1. Keep lines of communication open with your neighbors. The more freely you can talk with one another, the easier it is to work out issues.
2. If your neighbor suggests that there may be a problem with one of your trees, take the news seriously. If you disagree, hire an arborist to take a look and offer their opinion, then share that opinion with the neighbor.
3. If the worst happens and your tree falls on the neighbor’s property, get involved. Even if it was caused by a storm and you aren’t liable, it’s good gardener etiquette to offer to help in some way.
4. Maintain your trees regularly. Most trees should be trimmed every year to remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches and shape the tree. Keep your trees healthy by providing them with regular water during times of drought and treating them for insects or diseases.
5. Read and understand your homeowner’s insurance policy. You should know before any accidents what dangers you are insured against, particularly storm damage caused by falling trees or limbs.

Tree Trimming Essentials

Spraying is the reflex. It knocks down whatever is flying at that moment and does nothing about why the yard looked good to them in the first place. Ticks, ants, and mosquitoes each want something specific from a property, usually moisture or cover, and a yard can be arranged to withhold it.

Not every problem takes the same fix. The common garden pests that chew leaves are a different question from the ones that bite people, and the layout answers differ too. Three changes handle most of the biting crowd. None of them involve a sprayer.

1. Make a Three-Foot Strip Ticks Won't Cross

Ticks do not hop or fly. A blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) climbs a stem and waits there, front legs out, for something to brush past. That habit is the weakness. Where mown lawn meets the wooded edge, a strip of gravel or wood chips about 3 feet (1m) wide leaves them nothing to climb and no moisture to sit in. Most that try to cross dry out partway. Lawns with a buffer like that tend to hold fewer ticks.

The tick barrier only works if it stays bare. Leaf litter blowing across rebuilds the humid layer ticks depend on, so raking it through a few times a season matters more than which material went down. Landscape fabric from Amazon underneath keeps weeds from stitching the two sides back together. Nothing about this is a wall. It's a border they have to cross in the open. Most never finish the trip. In addition, white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) carry the ticks in to begin with, so woodpiles and bird feeders belong on the far side of the strip, well off the lawn.

2. Put the Scent Beside the Seats

Lavender is good for repelling pests, but a lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia) sitting still in a pot does close to nothing. Oil has to reach the air, which happens when leaves get brushed or warmed by an afternoon sun. Placement is the whole trick. Aromatic plants earn their keep within arm's reach of a chair, or spilling over a path edge where people walk through them on the way by.

Mint (Mentha x piperita) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) both carry compounds that make a patio less appealing to Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus). Neither clears a yard. What they shift is the odds close in, which is where anyone actually sits, and that species hunts low and by day. Running a hand along the stems before sitting down puts more oil in the air than the plant manages alone. Mint can spread aggressively, so keep it in a pot to stop roots from wandering. Lemongrass is not hardy through most of the country. Treating it as a container plant that comes indoors ahead of frost solves that.

3. Leave a Dry Band Where Ants Expect Mulch

Mulch banked against a foundation is an open invitation. It keeps the seam where the wall meets the ground damp all season, which is the one condition odorous house ants (Tapinoma sessile) want. They nest in it. From there it's a short trip to any gap in the siding. Pulling the mulch back solves half of it. Filling the gap with a band of pea gravel from The Home Depot, roughly 12 inches (30cm) out from the foundation, takes the cover away too.

Depth counts for more than width. Two or three inches (5-8cm) of stone stays dry through most of the summer. A thin scatter still traps damp underneath, which defeats the point. Shrubs want cutting back from the siding for the same reason. Anything touching the house bridges the band, however wide the stone runs. None of this evicts a colony already inside a wall – but it does protect you from outside invaders.

4. Banish Standing Water

Mosquitoes need standing water to finish their life cycle, and not much of it. A bottle cap holds enough for Aedes albopictus. Saucers under pots, a sagging tarp, a clogged gutter, the rim of a wheelbarrow left face up – every one of those runs a small hatchery on roughly an eight-day turnaround in summer heat. Gutters are the one people miss, since the water sits out of sight and packed debris holds it there. Walking the property once a week and tipping things over disrupts more breeding than any spray manages.

Grading handles what cannot be tipped. A low spot still holding water a week after rain wants soil moved, or a shallow swale cut to carry it off. Point downspouts away from the house, not into the same puddle at the corner. Some water has to stay, though. A rain barrel counts. So does a birdbath nobody empties. Bti mosquito dunks from Amazon kill the larvae without harming fish or pollinators. Use them to make a mosquito bucket of doom, and you yard will be pleasant to sit in through the worst of the season.

Every gardener has shared this experience. You clean up the beds in spring and plant new flowers in bright, eye-catching colors. Your favorite shrubs are blooming, the climbing vine has burst into fragrant flowers, and – for a moment – everything looks absolutely stunning. You wish with all your heart that it could stay this way all year long.

But spring turns into summer, and its flowers fade. Summer blooms come and go, too. Perhaps a shrub flowers in fall, but then the garden is done for the year. If you are hoping for blooms that last much longer, the longest-flowering perennials can help extend the display. In cold-winter climates, reliable indoor bloomers can provide color when the garden cannot.

Plants With Exceptional Flowering Habits

Are there any garden flowers that genuinely remain in bloom throughout the year? That is pretty rare, but there are more than a few long-blooming perennials. Some plants steadily bloom for months on end, while others bloom repeatedly with short gaps in between flowering periods. And some houseplants can bloom almost continuously under consistent indoor conditions.

A good bloom-boosting fertilizer is essential to keep these hardworking plants performing at their best. FoxFarm Big Bloom Liquid Plant Food, available from Amazon, is formulated for both indoor and outdoor plants and is compatible with every plant on this list.

Here are my top picks that bloom for long periods, with a mix of outdoor and indoor plants.

1. Autumn Sage

Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) blooms continuously from spring through the first frost (typically March to November). This type of salvia forms mounds up to 3 feet (1 m) tall with oodles of blooms – red, pink, purple, or white. You’ll see the best flower displays during the cooler months, with lighter blooming during intense summer heat.

Pick up a two-pack of autumn sage featuring bright red blooms from Latropic at Walmart.

Care tips: Plant in a site in USDA hardiness zones 6–9 with at least 6 hours of direct sun and deadhead spent flowers. Cut the plants back in late winter before new growth starts.

2. Purslane

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a succulent with bright yellow blooms on trailing stems. Each flower is short-lived, but they just keep coming in warm, sunny weather. Purslane can live outside and bloom all year long in USDA hardiness zones 10–11. In cooler areas, you can grow it outdoors as a flowering annual, or plant it into a container and bring it indoors for the winter.

It's quick and easy to grow purslane from seed with these heirloom non-GMO purslane seeds from TKE Farms & Gardens at Amazon.

Care tips: Plant in a full sun area with moderate temperatures. Give the plant soil with sharp drainage and water it at least once a week, twice in the heat of summer.

3. Lantana

Lantana (Lantana camera) is too pretty to be called the workhorse of the garden, but – despite its flush of tiny tubular flowers in a rainbow of colors – it is tough and reliable, growing to 6 feet (2 m) tall. In frost-free locations, lantana blooms all 12 months of the year. In cooler climates, it still flowers from spring right through the last frost. Plant it in USDA hardiness zones 7–11

You can pick up a multicolor lantana hanging basket at Lowe's.

Care tips: Plant in a full sun location in moist, well-drained soil. Give balanced fertilizer one time a year. Apply mulch around your lantana; it will keep down weeds and hold moisture in the soil.

4. 'Rozanne' Hardy Geranium

Hardy geraniums (also called cranesbill geraniums) are flowering perennials within the Geranium genus. ‘Rozanne’ – available to buy online at Plant Addicts – is one of the longest-blooming perennials in the garden. Its small, cupped flowers are a beautiful shade of violet blue. They appear in late spring and last until the first frost.

Care tips: Plant ‘Rozanne’ hardy geraniums in a full sun location in USDA hardiness zones 5–8, with slightly acidic soil. Water the plants regularly. Apply fertilizer or compost on garden beds in early spring to help ensure the best flowering.

5. African Violet

One of the most widely grown houseplants in the world, African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) top most lists of favorite flowering plants. Their flowers have five royal purple petals topping a rosette of fuzzy leaves. Their compact size makes them perfect for windowsills and desks. Each bloom period lasts a month or more. After a short rest period, they bloom repeatedly throughout the year under ideal conditions. They can live up to 50 years.

Pick up a four-pack of Optiflora Assorted Optimara African Violet Live Plants at Walmart.

Care tips: To keep these beauties blooming all year long, provide them with bright indirect light, water the plants from the bottom when the soil is slightly dry, and feed them regularly with a balanced bloom booster. Indoor temperatures should remain between 65–80°F (18–27°C).

6. Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis spp.)

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) offer numerous buds and exotic blooms on graceful, arching stems. Each flower spike can last up to three months, and mature plants can re-bloom multiple times a year or extend growth on existing spikes, ensuring you have blooms for most of the year. With appropriate care, moth orchids can flower year after year for two decades.

This Just Add Ice Purple Premium Orchid from Walmart is a lovely option for beginner orchid growers.

Care tips: Place your moth orchid in a location with bright, indirect light like a south- or east-facing window. Only water when the soil is dry, usually about once a week. Soak the potting medium to water it, then let it drain completely. Feed your moth orchid with a fertilizer made for orchids every month during the growing season.

7. Flamingo Flower

Flamingo or anthurium flowers (Anthurium andraeanum) are long-lasting bloomers that give your house a tropical and sophisticated ambiance. They produce their exotic waxy heart-shaped spathes in shades of red, pink, white, orange, and lavender (choose which color of anthurium you like from Plant Addicts) on and off all year long. In the right conditions, a healthy plant will produce new blooms throughout the year, offering a continuous display.

Care tips: Give the flamingo flower a bright spot indoors, a location with bright, indirect light, and high humidity. Only water when the top inch of soil is dry.

More Long-Blooming Favorites

The search for the garden's next ‘it’ plant usually leads us to something rare and unusual – but what if the answer has been hiding in plain sight all along?

Once upon a decade ago, I probably would've filled every spare corner of my borders with thirsty cottage garden favorites, never giving much thought to whether they could cope with another long summer. These days, though, I'm paying far more attention to the drought-tolerant plants that still look fresh when everything else is pleading for another drink.

Yes, I think we can all admit that our gardens are changing; summers are becoming hotter, dry spells are lasting longer, and our lives are getting busier. No wonder, then, that the flowering plants that survive hot weather are stepping into the spotlight (along with slow-watering tools like the genius Back to the Roots Self-Watering Terracotta Olla Pot, no less!).

This Fragrant Favorite Is The Next 'It' Plant

I found myself doing a double take while walking the dog recently as, house after house, I spotted the same unexpected plant taking pride of place in front gardens and designer-style borders; not a dramatic ornamental grass or the latest must-have perennial, oh no. In fact, it was (drum roll, please!) none other than rosemary.

Yes, everywhere I looked, it seemed as if I could see this fragrant favorite clipped into elegant topiary, woven through gravel gardens, spilling over retaining walls and softening the edges of contemporary planting schemes. And the more I noticed it, the more I wondered if I'd done my own rosemary a disservice by tucking it away beside the kitchen door ready for roasted potatoes.

In a bid to find out, I reached out to award-winning garden designer Zoe Claymore, who just so happens to be an RHS Chelsea medallist, an NAS Ambassador, and a member of the editorial board of The Garden Design Journal. If anyone had the answers, I reasoned to myself, it was her.

"Rosemary is a future-proof plant," Zoe tells me. "It's incredibly drought tolerant, thrives in sandy soils, copes brilliantly with high temperatures and needs very little care once established."

That's a pretty compelling list before you even get to the fact it's evergreen, wonderfully fragrant and completely at home in both traditional and contemporary gardens.

Unlike many ornamental plants that struggle through prolonged dry weather, rosemary seems to relish the conditions. Native to the Mediterranean, it's naturally adapted to bright sunshine, lean soils and periods without much rainfall – all qualities that are becoming increasingly valuable as gardeners look for resilient planting choices.

Shop Rosemary Plants:

I'll happily admit that I'd underestimated rosemary; to me, it was always something to snip for cooking, growing quietly in a terracotta pot near the back door. With Zoe's words ringing through my head, though, I can't stop noticing just how ornamental it really is; the fine evergreen foliage provides structure throughout the year, while its delicate blue flowers arrive surprisingly early in the season, offering an important source of nectar for bees and other emerging pollinators.

"It's fantastic for supporting wildlife," Zoe says. "Those early flowers provide valuable interest in the garden, both visually and for pollinators."

Then there's the scent! Brush past a rosemary plant and you're instantly greeted by that unmistakable aromatic fragrance. Zoe describes it as creating an "embodied experience" in the garden – one that engages far more than just your sense of sight – and I love that idea. Some gardens are beautiful to look at. The very best gardens invite you to touch, smell and properly experience them.

If you're after structure, upright varieties make brilliant informal hedges and respond beautifully to clipping. Zoe has even trained rosemary into topiary in her own compact garden, proving you don't need acres of space to make a statement. For something softer, prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus') has an entirely different personality. Rather than growing upwards, it gently cascades over the edges of containers, raised beds and retaining walls, creating a relaxed Mediterranean look while still delivering those fragrant leaves and pollinator-friendly flowers.

"I use it regularly as a spiller in container displays for sunny spots," Zoe says. "It softens the planting while coping brilliantly with heat."

I guess when it comes to the next 'it' plant, all we really want are flowers that support pollinators, foliage that looks good year-round, and plants that can handle drought without demanding endless watering. Is that too much to ask? Not if you direct your request at rosemary, it seems! So you'd best believe that the next rosemary I buy won't be hidden away among my herbs; it's getting the best seat in the garden.

It may be hard to believe, but beautiful holiday cactus blooms begin in summer. So the way you treat your Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus now is vital for strong, long-lasting plants that produce tons of colorful flowers at the end of the year.

August is the last month before you have to start giving your holiday cacti special care to encourage flowering. There’s no need to move them into the dark quite yet – save that for September – but there are a handful of key tasks to do now to get them ready for next month.

I’ll walk you through how to care for holiday cacti in August to ensure your plants are bursting with bright blooms for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plus, I’ll reveal the number one summer care mistake that can ruin flowering.

1. Provide Bright, Indirect Light

Light is the key to making a Christmas cactus bloom. These unique plants need 12-14 hours of total darkness in the fall in order to form flower buds. This light and dark period mimics their native environment and forces the plant into blooming. But don’t put your holiday cactus in the dark just yet!

In August, holiday cacti still need bright, indirect sunlight. Place your Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus in an east-facing window or behind a sheer curtain on a south or west-facing windowsill. If you moved your cactus outdoors for summer, make sure it’s not getting too much light as the sun shifts throughout the season. Too much sunlight can end up turning Christmas cacti foliage purple or reddish.

2. Fertilize Before Buds Form

August is a good time to give your Christmas or Thanksgiving cacti a dose of bloom-boosting fertilizer. This plant food from Amazon is made specifically for Christmas cacti and is heavy in phosphorus, which encourages flowering.

Fertilizing holiday cacti now provides them with the essential nutrients for buds to form before you begin forcing buds in the fall. This should be your last feeding for a while. Don’t fertilize Christmas cacti while they’re forming buds and blooms in fall and into winter.

3. Slowly Cut Back on Watering

In August, you still need to water your Christmas cactus regularly so the soil remains moist but not soggy. However, as the month goes on and plants get closer to bud formation time, you can start cutting back on how much you water.

If you moved your Christmas cactus outdoors for the summer and it’s still outside during the month of August (which is totally fine), you shouldn’t cut back on watering quite as much as if your plant was indoors. Container plants dry out faster outdoors in the summer heat and wind, so keep an eye on plants to make sure they’re getting enough moisture. You can use a simple soil moisture meter from Amazon to check if your plant needs more water.

The #1 Summer Mistake

There is one task you should take off your to-do list this month. Don’t repot your holiday cactus right now. Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti are plants that actually prefer to be root bound, so they don’t often need repotting – only once every 3-5 years or so.

Repotting Christmas cacti in late summer or early fall is also the wrong time for this task, even if your plant does need a bigger container. It may seem logical to move them into a new pot when you bring your plant inside around this time of year, but it can cause too much shock to your cactus just as it needs to store up its energy for blooming. Plus, root bound plants flower better.

The best time to repot plants is right after blooming. Wait until the end of the holiday season to move your cactus into a bigger pot. Only increase the pot size by 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter and use a well-draining cacti potting mix, like this one from Miracle-Gro.

Whether you have a small yard or a large space to maintain, there's one thing for certain: you'll need to have some reliable tools you can rely on. From lawn mowers to pruning shears and hedge loppers, there are so many bladed yard tools out there that make gardening so much easier – that is, if the tools are properly cared for.

I can still remember the many times my dad would wrestle with a clogged-up lawn mower, since its dulled blades were failing to cut the grass. Fortunately, he didn't need to buy a new mower, he just needed to switch up the way he cared for the gear, by sharpening its blades. Sharpening essential garden tools is often something that gets put off. But once friction, soil grit, and tough plant fibers have grappled with your tools, they become harder to use and can quite literally lose their edge.

Many home gardeners never sharpen their gear. Some worry they’ll ruin the blade, while others treat bladed tools as disposable, buying cheap replacements every couple of seasons. But dull blades crush plant tissue, and often force you to work harder, leading to sore wrists and fatigue. Taking a little time to hone your steel changes everything. By keeping a basic sharpener in your shed, you cut your labor in half, keep plants healthier, and save hundreds of dollars. Interested? Meet the super tools that make all your other cutting tools instantly better.

Sharpen Your Act

You might be wondering, how do you really know if your blades need a tune-up? A quick inspection under a good light will tell you everything you need to know. Look down the cutting edge: if you see tiny shiny nicks, rounded dull spots, or burrs reflecting light, your edge is spent. You can also run a piece of scrap paper along the blade. If it catches and tears rather than slicing cleanly, it’s time to sharpen your tool.

Before sharpening, always make sure you wipe down the metal with a stiff brush first, like the UHuse Mini Wire Brush Set from Walmart, or a damp cloth to strip off sap and soil. Then grab a clean rag, a reliable protective oil such as 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil from Amazon, and your sharpener of choice from the list below.

Your choice of sharpener will depend on the garden tool. Fine bypass pruners require precise, small-profile diamond stones. Heavy steel spades and rough lawn mower blades respond better to flat mill files or power angle grinders. Premium vintage carbon steel tools hold an edge longer than budget modern stainless steel. Budget steel requires light, frequent touch-ups to keep from turning dull.

Top Sharpening Tools

If you're fed up with blunt gardening tools, or forking out for tools that never seem to last that long, or just want to make sure yours stay in tip top condition, you've come to the right place. Here's a rundown of the top blade-sharpening tools recommended by lawn and gardening experts, as well as what you can use each tool for, and why it's so great for the job…

1. Felco 903 Diamond Sharpener

Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal, recommends the Felco 903 Diamond Sharpener, available from Amazon, as a great tool to have on hand, due to its exceptional versatility. It can sharpen all kinds of gear, so you only need to purchase the one sharpening tool to care for all the bladed garden tools you own.

"The one gardening tool I recommend the most to homeowners is the Felco 903 Diamond Sharpener,” says Gene. “It's perfect for pruning shears, loppers, and hedge trimmers because of the diamond coated surface. It helps restore the sharp edge quickly without removing any excess metal."

Gene points out it's important to wipe the blades of your tools after sharpening them and to apply a light coat of oil afterwards. Doing this will prevent debris sticking to your tools, and protect the sharpened edge from rusting. A microfiber cloth and a dab of Trend Diamond Abrasive Lapping Fluid from Amazon should do the trick.

Sharpen bypass pruners every 3-4 uses during peak pruning season. Always follow the factory bevel angle (around 20 degrees) and push the sharpener in smooth, one-way strokes away from your body. Never grind the flat back side of bypass shears, or you'll create a gap between the blades that jams wood fibers.

• Best For: Bypass pruners, loppers, floral shears, and hedge trimmers. Crafted from hardened steel with a high-grade diamond coating, this slim sharpener reaches into tight spaces bulky stones can't touch.

2. SHARPAL Dual-Grit Diamond Sharpening Stone File

Lindsey Boney, a produce expert at Windmill Farms Market with a deep-rooted family history in farming, recommends the SHARPAL 181N Dual-Grit Diamond Sharpening Tool, available from Walmart. Its long, flat surface is perfect for filing larger tools which get worn down over time, such as hoes and spades.

Crucially, Lindsey encourages people purchasing this product to use it little and often. She explains: "A common mistake is waiting until a tool is completely dull before sharpening it. Light touch-ups throughout the season remove less metal, helping quality tools last much longer."

Touch up your soil tools (spades and hoes) monthly. A sharp spade slices through tough roots and compacted clay soil like butter, saving your back from strain. Use the coarse side first to file down rough rock nicks. Then flip to the fine side to refine the edge. Always wear leather work gloves while working. By maintaining soil tools, you prevent blade curling, adding decades to your favorite spades.

• Best For: Digging spades, edging irons, weeding hoes, axes, and machetes. Featuring a dual-grit surface, this versatile steel file includes a wide handguard to protect your fingers during aggressive strokes.

3. DCK 4.5-Inch Angle Grinder

Steve Corcoran, CEO of Lawn Love, insists a good-quality angle grinder like the DCK 4.5-Inch Angle Grinder from Amazon is ideal for sharpening tools. They're easy to use and rotate really fast for a precise sharpen. Also, many different attachments exist on the market, so if you already own an angle grinder, you can easily find the attachment you need for sharpening your items. Just use a flat disc when filing your tools to ensure you maintain a smooth surface on the blades.

Steve explains why opting for a flat disc is essential: "Think of what it’s like trying to cut through string when it’s pulled taut versus when it’s loose. It’s the same kind of idea, with a sharp blade being able to cut through plant matter much easier and cleaner. A traumatic cut from a dull blade makes a plant more susceptible to problems like plant diseases, and it can also just look worse."

Sharpen lawn mower blades twice a season (mid-spring and midsummer). Always secure the blade tightly in a bench vise before grinding, and always wear safety goggles like Hyper Tough Clear Safety Glasses from Walmart, as well as heavy gloves to protect against high-speed metal sparks. Use short, light passes with a flat flap disc. Considering lawn care services can charge upwards of $20 per blade sharpen, doing it yourself at home quickly pays for this power tool.

• Best For: Heavy-duty mower blades, brush cutter blades, heavily rusted tools. For thick, heavy-duty steel like lawn mower blades that take a beating from rocks and hidden roots, manual hand-filing can take ages. A power angle grinder restores a wrecked edge in under two minutes.

4. WorkPro W051002 10-Inch Flat Mill File

If you're in a pinch, working on a tight budget, or simply don't have much space to store extra tools, Steve reveals that a sturdy high-quality hand file can work wonders for sharpening your garden tools. You'll be looking for something that is decently abrasive, as well as easy for you to hold while you file down the blades.

The WorkPro W05100210 from Amazon is durable, incredibly streamlined for storing, and comes with a comfortable anti-slip handle for ease of use. If you're looking for something similar at an even lower price point, the Ergonomic Wvapzwr 8in Flat Mill File, also from Amazon will only set you back by $6.99. It's an Amazon's Choice product and boasts use for sharpening all kinds of tools, including lawn mower blades and garden shears.

Mill files only cut on the forward stroke. Lift the file on the return stroke. Dragging it backward can ruin the teeth. Keep a wire file card or stiff brush nearby to clear out clogged metal filings from the teeth as you work. Rubbing a piece of chalkboard chalk onto the file face before filing prevents soft metal sticking in the teeth.

• Best For: Lawn mower blades, garden shears, turf edgers, and general steel tools. High-carbon steel flat mill files are the unsung heroes of the tool shed. They require no electricity, offer maximum control, and cost less than a cup of artisanal coffee.

Shop Sharpening Extras

Maintaining sharp blades is a victory for common sense and your wallet. Just save a little time for proper cleaning, lubrication, and secure setup to ensure that both your sharpener and cutting gear last you for decades. Spending a few dollars on these accessories will save you serious time during maintenance and protect your fingers while filing. Pair your sharpeners with these top-rated bench accessories.

Top Tool Care Trio

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Earlier this year we lost Sam Neill. The star of Jurassic Park, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Peaky Blinders, he was also a winemaker, farmer, and by all accounts lovely person.

Three years ago, while promoting his memoir (available here on Amazon), Neill was already thinking about the end of his life. When he spoke to The Guardian in 2023, he was in remission from Stage 3 blood cancer. And the thing that was weighing on him most was his garden.

He went on to say he’d like to see as much of his grandchildren’s lives as possible, too. But the trees are what stood out to me.

Welcome to the inaugural Quote of the Week, a series where every Monday I'll take a look at a notable quotation about plants, gardening, and nature, and explore what it can teach us all about our connection to the garden. Who better to start with than the late, great Sir Sam Neill?

The Best Time to Plant a Tree Was 30 Years Ago

The second best time to plant a tree is today. It’s an old proverb you hear, and one that’s been attributed and misattributed so much that no one knows where it came from. The idea is that trees take a long time to reach their full potential, so if you want a nice tree, you want one that's already mature. At the same time, today will be 30 years ago before you know it, so there's no time like the present to start.

It's a lovely message as well as good gardening advice, and it’s one that Sam Neill seemed to hold dear.

On his Instagram (which is a real treat if you need some wholesome Kiwi farm content in your life) he mused extensively about the lifetimes of trees, and how they often vastly outstrip our own.

“You don’t really plant for yourself. You plant for future generations, because you’ll never see that tree in its full magnificence like this one here,” he says, gaze traveling upward to the massive Wellingtonia, or giant sequoia, above him.

Trees, if all goes well, are meant to outlive us. They're a tether to the past, like the ones planted by Neill's great-grandfather or Witness Trees, which saw historical events no living person can remember. They're also a lifeline into the future, a way to speak to our descendants after we're long gone.

It seems clear, then, that Sam Neill knew he likely wouldn't see those olive and cypresses reach their full height. His annoyance wasn't with a life cut short, but just with time and its inexorable way of marching on. None of us are any closer to slowing time down, so it's best just to accept it and, like Sam Neill, plant trees as often as you can. Thirty years from now, someone will quietly thank you.

Trees You Can Plant Today

After weeks of relentless summer heat, I wasn't expecting to see many flowers looking their best on my latest walk. I spent several hours wandering through fields before looping back through my neighborhood, and while weeds were thriving – as they always seem to – most ornamental plants looked tired, faded or downright crispy.

Then one cute purple perennial completely stopped me in my tracks. Well, technically, my toddler spotted it first, and a few minutes later she came sprinting toward me holding a single bloom triumphantly above her head like a tiny trophy. It took me a moment to identify what she'd picked, but once I managed it, I couldn't stop noticing them.

Honestly, everywhere I looked were clusters of delicate lavender-colored blooms looking fresher and happier than almost everything else I'd seen that afternoon. And, while surrounding borders looked as though they were simply enduring the summer, these pretty perennials seemed to be positively thriving.

All hail, then, the pincushion flower! Especially as, with so many different hues available, there's a variety to suit everyone (I'm already swooning over this Vivid Violet Pincushion Flower from Nature Hills).

This Cute Purple Perennial Loves Hot Summers

The warm weather makes me sluggish so it took me a hot minute to realize that the cute purple perennial shaking off blazing hot temperatures like it was no big deal was a pincushion flower (Scabiosa).

As someone who's always looking for plants that combine beauty with resilience, I immediately wanted to know more. It turns out pincushion flowers aren't just pretty – they're surprisingly drought tolerant, bloom for months, and are adored by bees and butterflies and other pollinators.

This seems a bit weird, because at first glance, pincushion flowers look really delicate, floating on their wiry stems and softening everything without overwhelming neighboring plants. Don't, though, let that graceful appearance fool you!

Shop Scabiosa Plants:

That's right, folks! Many Scabiosa varieties are super resilient once established, thriving in full sun, coping well with hot weather, and not demanding constant watering. Depending on the variety, perennial pincushion flowers are generally hardy in USDA Zones 3-8, with some extending into Zone 9.

They perform best in full sun and well-drained soil, where their roots can establish before periods of summer drought – but if your garden fits the bill, and you're looking to build a more resilient garden that still delivers plenty of color, they are absolutely worth your time. Especially as bees, butterflies, and other pollinators love them.

And, if you need any further persuading, the bloom period on these cute purple perennials is wild! With regular deadheading, they can flower from late spring right through fall, providing months of color long after many other perennials have finished their display (maximum impact, minimum effort).

FAQs

Sometimes the best gardening discoveries happen completely by accident, right? I set out expecting another walk filled with heat-stressed plants and fading flowers. Instead, thanks to my observant toddler, I discovered a cute purple perennial that seemed completely unfazed by the challenging conditions.

Beautiful, easygoing, pollinator-friendly and capable of flowering for months, you'd best believe that pincushion flowers have quickly climbed to the top of my planting wish list. And I have a feeling they might just become your newest garden obsession too.

The right plant care in August has a huge impact on the flavor and appearance of tomatoes, as well as how long your harvest lasts for. We’re approaching peak tomato harvesting period this month, so how you look after your plants directly affects the quality as well as quantity of fruit. Start redirecting the plant’s energy on fruit formation and ripening, rather than needlessly growing more foliage, and you will be rewarded with tons more tastier tomatoes.

Without appropriate, targeted care in August, your tomatoes may split, develop unsightly black spots on their bases, and plants might fall prey to fungal disease and red spider mites that put an abrupt end to your harvest. With the right care, however, plants will stay happy, healthy and continue to produce plump, flavorful tomatoes for many weeks to come.

None of these 5 steps are a difficult part of growing tomatoes so get this essential August tomato care right and you can look forward to your best harvest yet. Understanding why you’re doing each task is a key part of keeping tomato plants producing all summer. Why? Because then you’ll be able to tweak each care task to perfectly suit your growing conditions and tomato varieties, whether you’re raising cherry toms or beefsteak tomatoes, outdoors or in a greenhouse, in any zone. Here’s everything you need to know for tip-top August tomato plant care so you can enjoy your best crop yet.

1. Strip Off Lower Leaves to Reduce Disease

First on the list of what to do with tomato plants in August is to strip off some of the lower leaves of indeterminate tomatoes. These plants will be dense with foliage by now, and removing some at stem bases allows better airflow, which in turn reduces the risk of disease. It also allows sunlight in to ripen fruit, and allows you to spot any developing issues faster.

This seems like a fairly drastic task but, as long as you don’t strip off leaves any higher than the halfway point of the plant, you’re doing more good than harm. I start by stripping lower leaves at soil height at the start of August, then take off another layer every week, gradually raising the leafless height to halfway as peak harvesting time is reached. This gradual strip doesn’t shock the plant, and reveals tomatoes just as they need the ripening sun.

Why bother? Well, late tomato blight, when fungus-like organism Phytophthora infestans infects plants and causes both leaves and fruit to rot, is a big risk at this time of year, particularly for outdoor toms. Indoors, leaf mold – which brings similar symptoms to the leaves, often with a grey-brown mold on the undersides – is the harvest slayer to avoid. For both, good airflow around the plants is the very best prevention, and stripping off lower leaves is the number one way to achieve it.

If you want to add another layer of protection, then make a simple, effective anti-fungal spray with baking soda for your tomato plants. Removing lower leaves from the plants also makes it much easier to irrigate without wetting the leaves, further reducing the risk of disease.

There’s no need to strip leaves from determinate tomatoes, though do remove any leaves touching the soil to reduce disease risk.

2. Prune for a Full, Flavorful Harvest

Channelling plants’ energy into growing fruit rather than foliage now is the difference between a basic crop and a bumper harvest so, if you're wondering how to get a good tomato harvest, get your hand pruners at the ready! Remember, indeterminate tomatoes are vines, and they’ll keep growing – and growing – until the frost kills them, so if you want lots of fruit you need to curtail that growth, and redirect that energy into fruit production.

Keep cutting or pinching off any shoots that grow in the junctions between the main stem and leaf stalks. This stops plants wasting energy on growing fresh stems and foliage.

In mid-August, or when a plant has around four or five trusses of tomatoes, pinch out the main growing tip of indeterminate tomatoes. All you have to do is use hand pruners to snip off the uppermost few inches of the main stem, or simply snap it off with your hands. This halts the vine’s upward growth, redirecting its energy into ensuring existing tomatoes grow.

Depending on your zone, the variety you’re growing, and whether or not you can be bothered to ripen green tomatoes off the plant, you can also snip off newly-formed flower trusses at the end of August as there’s unlikely to be enough time for them to develop fully before the season ends.

Cherry tomatoes typically take around 45-60 days to grow from flower to full-sized ripe fruit; beefsteak toms can take up to 90 days. As well as cold weather slowing growth, temperatures above 86°F can slow development, too. So, keep your eye on the thermometer and gauge whether or not it's worth remove any new flower trusses to concentrate the plant's energy into existing fruit.

3. Water Consistently for High-Quality Fruit

How consistently you water your plants now will directly impact the quality of your crop. Erratic watering can cause tomato skins to split, and lead to dark, flat patches at the base of fruit, called blossom end rot. While blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium, it’s very rare that soil or compost lacks this element – the problem almost always lies in a lack of consistent water which the plant needs to transport calcium to where it’s needed.

Aim for consistent, steady watering to keep a fairly even level of moisture in the soil. Shading your tomato plants from the harsh midday sun will dramatically reduce evaporation, so this is another way you can help even out soil moisture levels. If it’s easier to rig up more general shade, then using a shade cloth that blocks 30-40% of rays will still allow enough sunlight through to ripen fruit.

Once most fruits have set and are ripening, if the weather isn't too hot, slightly reducing watering will concentrate sugars and flavor. Never reduce irrigation so much that leaves wilt, and it's also important to lessen the volume of water given rather than reduce frequency, so moisture levels remain consistent.

4. Feed Weekly, But Know When to Stop

If you're wondering when you should stop feeding tomato plants, you're not alone as this is a common query. And knowing when to stop fertilizing plants is just as important as knowing when to start, and one of the most critical pro growing tips for a long-lasting tomato harvest.

Until the uppermost clusters of fruit are full-sized, you should continue feeding your tomato plants once a week with a high-potassium tomato fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Tomato! Food, available from Amazon. However, as soon as you start redirecting the plants’ energy to ripening fruit that’s already set, especially if you halt the upwards growth of indeterminate plants by pinching out the tip of the main stem, it's vital not to over-fuel. Too much food can cause fertilizer burn, excess foliage and actually slow fruit production

So, from mid-August, gradually reduce the strength of the feed, tapering off so you don’t abruptly stop this supply of nutrients.

5. Watch Out For Spider Mites

All the hot, dry air of this El Niño summer has created ideal conditions for red spider mites. These sap-sucking critters can ruin a harvest, but are easily controlled if you spot them in time and act quickly.

Don’t rely on being able to see the mites themselves as they're tiny. Instead look out for:

• Moving dots. While the mites are minute, you may spot what looks like moving specks of dust. And don't expect them to be red! At this time of year red spider mites are often a yellowish green, only turning red – and becoming more visible on leaves – in fall.
• Damaged leaves. If there’s an infestation, leaves will first become stippled, where individual cells have been sucked dry, then turn mottled, pale and eventually die and drop.
• Fine silky webs around stems or leaves.
• A build-up of white cast skins and egg shells on the undersides of leaves.

The quicker you act, the better, as high summer heat speeds egg hatching from around 55 days to 7, and a female spider mite can lay 10-20 eggs a day. Remove infected leaves and wash the plant with a jet of water. Coat all surfaces, but particularly the undersides of leaves with a neem oil spray.

Do double-check if the neem oil is already diluted: if you have raw neem oil, mix 1-2 teaspoons into a quart of warm water, before using. To help the oil and water combine, add half a teaspoon of mild liquid dish soap to the water first.

Spray plants once a week for three weeks to catch any newly-hatching mites and break the lifecycle. Sprayed leaves are more easily scorched by the sun, so consider shading if necessary.

Tomato plant care in August is all about directing energy towards producing a plentiful harvest, and keeping plants disease-free so that process can continue for as long as possible into fall. Stripping lower leaves, tactical pruning, consistent irrigation, well-timed feeding and controlling pests will all help your plants happy and healthy, so they can keep providing you with a flavorful harvest week after week. And that's more than enough reward for the time it takes to complete these simple late-summer tomato care tasks.

Ah, air conditioners. They are sort of like compost piles: useful, even essential, but pretty darned unappealing to look at. So no wonder you fancy hiding them behind a couple of better-looking plants. Trouble is, most AC units are picky about what gets close to them. If you are thinking of hiding your unit with leafy plants, be on notice: if you restrict the airflow to the air conditioner, you may lose that cold air entirely.

Beyond the obvious visual frustration of an industrial metal box ruining your patio view, there is also the hum-and-buzz of the compressor running all summer long. If this is all sounding like a bit of a nightmare, take heart. If you choose the right types of shrubs, hiding the AC unit is possible. You just have to select the appropriate plants for the purpose, and grow them at an appropriate distance.

Fortunately, evergreen shrubs offer a brilliant workaround. Their dense foliage doesn't just block line of sight: the thick leaves and woody stems naturally muffle high-frequency sound waves, creating a quieter backyard vibe. Planted correctly during late summer, these robust specimens establish quickly in warm ground, concealing a noisy eyesore behind a lush, gentle living screen that requires minimal long-term care and maintains its soothing presence all year round.

Best Shrubs to Conceal AC Units

Selecting plants to screen that bulky AC unit involves some of the same criteria you might apply to making friends in the office. You want to pick individuals that are steady, stable, and know how to be friendly, without encroaching on precious space. In the case of shrubs and AC units, you’ll want a clearance of 3 feet (1 m) on all sides of the unit, and twice that above it. The shrubs in this selection have dense foliage to block the view and muffle noise, and they hold onto that foliage all year long. They also have roots that don’t spread enough to impede the machine.

Before planting these low maintenance shrubs, assess your unit's layout and service access needs. HVAC technicians need clear access to electrical panels and service valves, so never plant a solid wall on all four sides. Leave a removable decorative trellis or a 3-foot (90 cm) clearance path for maintenance. With the practical requirements of the technicians sorted, you can focus on the needs of the plant.

These shrubs are fine for summer planting, but consider your hardiness zone and existing soil conditions before planting. Soil right next to house foundations and heat-venting AC fan exhausts dries out twice as fast. Check soil moisture before planting to ensure long-term survival. Use a good soil diagnostic tool, such as the XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon. This gives you real-time moisture readouts to see whether the soil near those hot AC exhaust vents is drying out.

Where conditions are heavy clay or sand, blend a little organic matter (such as aged compost) into the planting hole to help with drainage. It’s also a good idea to add a little biochar, such as Wakefield Premium Biochar Soil Conditioner from Lowe’s to protect soil nutrients and help with moisture retention. Add a couple of inches of a light organic mulch, such as a shredded hardwood bark or composted leaf mold. Then water shrubs deeply. Keep watering through the growing season, to help these shrubs develop strong, deep roots.

1. Boxwood

Your best bet when trying to mask an ugly AC unit (and that’s pretty much all of them) is to select evergreen shrubs with a compact habit. These are easier to maintain than sprawling types. For this, the quintessential evergreen is boxwood (Buxus spp). These are self-contained evergreens and will grow in sun, partial sun or even deep shade. They are drought tolerant and thrive in hardiness zones 5-9. You can choose from a range of boxwood shrubs at Nature Hills, such as Green Velvet, Sprinter and Calgary Boxwood.

They are great for structural screening, thanks to their small, leathery leaves that form a living wall of green. This thick canopy acts as an effective acoustic barrier. Boxwoods flourish in container gardening schemes if you choose a weather-resistant planter with drainage holes. Add a little Espoma Organic Plant-tone from Walmart for a slow release of microbes that promotes steady root growth and vibrant foliage.

Boxwoods grow up at around 6in (15 cm) growth per year. While this doesn’t sound all that astonishing, these shrubs rapidly fill out their dense interior leaves, giving you a solid green acoustic wall faster than almost any other structural shrub. Perfect if you want a set-it-and-forget-it shape that won't sprint into your AC clearance zone.

2. Arborvitae

If you’re like me, you’ve planted arborvitae plants (Thuja spp.) like Green Giant that shoot up quickly, creating a tall, deep wind break. But these are not the best options to put on AC duty. Instead, use narrow varieties like Emerald Green (T. occidentalis). They top out at 10 feet (3 m) and maintain a narrow 3-foot (1 m) spread, offering year-round color in zones 2-7. Buy Emerald Green Arborvitae from Fast Growing Trees. Their soft, scale-like foliage traps ambient mechanical noise very well.

Dwarf globe cultivars like Fire Chief or Mr. Bowling Ball reach 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) tall and wide without requiring heavy pruning. They prefer full sun to partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. Just avoid planting them directly in the blast path of hot AC exhaust air. Acid-loving arborvitae shrubs benefit from a sprinkling of Espoma Organic Holly-Tone Fertilizer, available from Lowe’s. This organic feed supplies essential sulfur and iron to keep needles rich and vibrant.

With arborvitae shrubs, you can expect fast vertical screening. This evergreen shoots up at a steady 12 inches (30 cm) per year in its early years, making it one of the quickest ways to build a tall, narrow sightline barrier without invading your AC unit's footprint.

3. Mediterranean Cypress

Narrow cypress varieties are a top choice for hiding an outdoor AC unit, with their dense, evergreen foliage and narrow waistline. A line of regular Mediterranean cypress (aka Italian cypress) grows like a row of 50 feet (15 m) tall exclamation points with 5 foot spread, narrowing at the crown. This will hide your AC, but may be too tall to make the cut for this gig. Instead, pick a dwarf cultivar like Tiny Tower (C. s. 'Monshel') that tops out at 10 feet (3m) tall. They thrive in zones 7-10. Buy Italian Cypress from Nature Hills for mass planting.

Thriving in full sun and heat, this tough fast-growing evergreen tolerates drought once settled. Just don’t allow them to sit in soggy soil. If your soil is clay-based, it’s a good idea to blend a few scoops of coarse sand, a grit-rich soil, or a cactus mix such as Hoffman Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix from Walmart into the planting hole. This will prevent waterlogging and root rot.

Dwarf Italian cypress shoots up quickly, although it’s fair to say that its dwarf habit keeps its footprint narrow. That said, it gains 2 feet (60 cm) of height per year when young. While it is one of the fastest choices on the list, it also manages to keep a neat 2-foot (60 cm) waistline.

4. Inkberry Holly

Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) is a broadleaf evergreen. Unlike close relatives, its leaves are not prickly but smooth, and its fruit is dark. It prefers damp acidic soil and full sunshine. Inkberry holly can grow to 10 feet (3 m) tall and about half that wide in zones 4-11. For something smaller, look at cultivars like 'Densa' that grow to 6 feet (2 m) in height, or 'Compacta' that stop at 4 feet (1 m) tall. These shrubs thrive in USDA hardiness zones 4-11. You can buy Proven Winners Gem Box Inkberry Holly Live Plants from Walmart for low hedges, small specimens, and containers.

As a native, inkberry holly supports local pollinators while offering year-round cover. It thrives in damp, acidic soils and tolerates partial shade. If your utility area sits in a low-lying spot that collects rainwater, this moisture-tolerant shrub is ideal. You can give your inkberry a boost by treating it to a little seaweed or kelp feed. Buy GS Plant Foods Organic Concentrated Liquid Kelp from Amazon. This feed is packed with vitamins and minerals to help hollies resist heat stress and transplant shock.

Your inkberry will fill out steadily, growing into a dense acoustic screen without requiring constant pruning. It offers fast visual fill, adding 12 inches (30 cm) per year, quickly knitting its fine branches together into a thick, sound-dampening screen that looks complete in just a couple of seasons.

5. Skip Laurel

Skip or schip laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis') is a broadleaf evergreen. This cherry laurel is known for its narrow habit, while reaching 10-18 feet tall (3-6 m). It makes an excellent, low-maintenance privacy hedge with its upright growth habit and dense foliage. It is also cold hardy, thriving in zones 5-9. These shrubs shrug off urban pollution and salt spray, and thrive in most soils, as long as they offer good drainage. You can buy Skip Laurel Shrubs from Fast Growing Trees.

If your outdoor AC unit is located under a deck or high tree canopy, this is ideal. Its large, glossy leaves reflect light and provide superior acoustic dampening. Delicate white spring flower spikes add seasonal interest. It grows vigorously, so trim away any stray branches drifting toward your AC unit. A little fungicide, such as Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide Concentrate from Walmart, protects these laurels against powdery mildew and leaf spot. This is the quickest grower on the list if you need to block a loud AC unit ASAP, putting on 2 feet (24 inches) per year. However, it will need some annual summer trimming to maintain good flow around the unit.

Summer Shrub Essentials

Planting a container-grown evergreen near your AC unit during late summer is a brilliant way to address a visual bugbear in the yard, and you don’t have to give your shrub loads of constant care. Warm soil temperatures encourage roots to anchor quickly before winter arrives. However, these essential soil care products will help to ensure your living AC screen stays healthy, dense, and vibrant season after season.

Need more ideas for getting the most from your plants, indoors and out, and looking for the best seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free Gardening Know How Newsletter!

Planting a few fast-growing shrubs is just the ticket to cool down a sun-drenched spot in the yard or on the patio. Besides providing shade, plants release cooling water vapor through transpiration, so they consistently add moisture to the air, driven by sun and heat. Plants with dense foliage or large leaves tend to give off the most moisture.

When choosing shade shrubs for the garden, be sure to add the colors green, blue, and violet, which are considered cooling, calming colors for the garden. Shrubs with yellow foliage and red or orange flowers may increase the hot vibe, so stick to shrubs with shades of green, blue, and violet.

Summer Planting Requires Extra Care

Nursery container-grown shrubs can be planted during the summer, but you should take extra precautions. Plant when the sky is overcast or during the early evening when it is cooler, then water deeply. Also, keep the plant well watered until it is established. You may need to water daily if it is hot enough or every other day. This deep root watering tool from Amazon is really useful for helping trees and shrubs to establish and develop a strong, deep root system.

However, avoid fertilizing in the heat of summer. Adding 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of mulch will keep the roots cool and moist. Place the mulch at least 4 inches from the base of the shrub.

Fast-Growing Shrubs for Cooling Shade

Whether you design a private reading nook surrounded by shrubs or a mixed border along a hot, western exposure, here are fast-growing shrubs that will put you in the cooling zone. Be sure to read the plant tags and choose shrubs suitable for your USDA hardiness zone.

1. Viburnum

Viburnums (Viburnum spp.) include deciduous and evergreen shrubs in varying heights that include some North American natives. They feature flowers, mostly white, as well as colorful fall leaves. Some varieties also produce fruit in the fall, which is relished by birds. Viburnums grow 1 to 2 feet (0.3 to 0.6 m) a year. Depending on the variety, viburnums prefer full sun to light shade and well-draining soil. Add organic matter to the soil when planting to increase fertility and drainage.

Good ones to try include Arrowwood (V. dentatum), which grows 6 to 12 feet tall and wide (1.8 to 3.7 m) in USDA zones 3 to 8, and produces blue-black fruit. American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) grows 5 to 8 feet in zones 2 to 7, and produces red fruit in late summer. Leatherleaf viburnum (V. rhytidophyllum) is evergreen to semi-evergreen with white flowers in spring and red to black berries in fall. It grows 10 feet (3 m) tall and wide in zones 5 to 8.

2. Ninebark

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) is a tough, drought-tolerant Eastern North American native shrub that grows up to 8 feet (2.4 m) tall in zones 2 to 8. It is known for its exfoliating bark, which shows in winter after the leaves drop.

Several cultivars are offered with foliage colors such as purple, yellow, chartreuse, and bicolor. ‘Diabolo’ ninebark features purple foliage and creamy white flowers in summer. ‘Snowfall’ sports dark green foliage and white or pink flowers.

Ninebark does well in slightly acidic, well-drained soil in full to part sun. It tolerates multiple soil conditions, including clay.

3. Panicle Hydrangea

Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) bloom from midsummer to fall on new growth, so you don’t have to worry about late freezes zapping the flower buds. Their strong stems support conical-shaped flower clusters, typically white, changing to pink or red.

Panicle hydrangeas tolerate more sun than other types of hydrangeas but still prefer morning sun and afternoon shade in well-draining soil in zones 3 to 8.

Their height depends on the cultivar, but to provide more shade, choose the taller varieties like ‘Quick Fire,’ ‘Pinky Winky,’ ‘Limelight,’ ‘Vanilla Strawberry,’ and ‘Fire Light,’ which grow to 8 feet (2.4 m) tall and wide. ‘Phantom’ hydrangea features huge white flower heads and quickly grows up to 10 feet (3 m) tall and wide.

4. Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) grows quickly into a vase shape from 8 to 12 feet tall (2.4 to 3.7 m). The hibiscus-like flowers bloom non-stop from summer to fall and attract pollinators. Flower colors in pink, red, blue, white, purple, violet, and bicolor are available in single and double types.

Older varieties tend to reseed easily, but many new cultivars are sterile, eliminating that problem. Look for ‘Diana,’ ‘Aphrodite,’ ‘Azurri Blue Satin,’ ‘Orchid Satin,’ ‘Helene,’ and the ‘Sugar Tip’ series.

Rose of Sharon prefers full sun and tolerates heat, humidity, and drought in zones 5 to 8.

5. Dappled Willow

Dappled willow (Salix integra 'Hakuro-Nishiki') trees are coveted for their pretty variegated foliage that flows like a fountain. Their multicolored leaves are a striking pink, white, and apple green. Hardy in zones 4 to 10, they grow almost anywhere.

Dappled willow prefers a moist, fertile soil in full to part sun. It grows 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 m) tall and wide. Pruning the foliage a couple of times a season brings a flush of new foliage. Catkins produced in spring persist into fall.

6. Crape Myrtle

Fast-growing crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) trees can reach their height in one season! The heat-loving shrub blooms from midsummer to fall in showy shades of red, pink, white, lavender, and purple ruffled flowers. When autumn arrives, leaves change to yellow, orange, or red.

Crepe myrtle grows from 6 to 30 feet (1.8 to 9 m) tall depending on the variety, in zones 6 to 9. If the top growth dies back during an extreme winter, it will grow back from the roots. Exfoliating bark adds winter interest.

Adding fast-growing shrubs to your landscape will soften the edges, bring soothing green colors, and actually reduce the ambient temperature through leaf transpiration, especially if the shrubs are grouped together.

One indeterminate cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in decent soil can hand over a couple of pounds (1kg) a week once it hits full stride, and two plants will bury a small family. The crop sets its own deadline, too. A cherry tomato goes from perfect to split overnight when a storm follows a run of hot, rainless days.

Most advice about growing cherry tomatoes ends at the harvest. The real work starts there. The plant has no interest in whether the kitchen has caught up, so the response has to move in two directions at once – what is already picked, and what the vine does from here.

Eight Moves for a Runaway Harvest

A few of the moves take an afternoon, and others take five minutes with a pair of snips like these from Amazon. Start with whichever side is more important that week.

1. Pick at the First Blush of Color

Tomato cracking is a plumbing problem, not a disease. The fruit pulls water in faster than its skin can stretch, so one heavy rain on the back of a dry spell splits half a crop overnight. Picking earlier sidesteps that. It works because a cherry tomato seals itself off from the vine the moment real color appears, and what happens after that happens without the plant. Then you can turn green tomatoes red by just leaving them out on the counter. If your cherry tomatoes are producing heavily, walk the rows every other morning rather than holding out for full color. If any slip past you, cracked tomatoes are perfectly fine to eat.

2. Keep Them Out of the Fridge

Refrigeration costs more than it saves. Somewhere below 55F (13C) the aroma compounds start breaking down and the texture goes mealy, which accounts for most of what is wrong with a supermarket tomato. A counter does better. Ripe ones keep several days in a single layer, stem scars down, somewhere out of direct sun. Green fruit picked ahead of a storm colors up in a paper bag with a banana tucked in for ethylene – a gas naturally emitted by bananas that speeds up ripening. Anything that doesn't turn red pickles beautifully.

3. Freeze them Whole on a Sheet Pan

Freezing tomatoes whole is the easiest way to go: no blanching, no peeling. Wash and dry a batch, then spread it in one layer across a sheet pan from Amazon. Freeze them solid before bagging so they stay loose rather than welding into a brick. The skins slip off under a warm tap later. Straight from frozen, they collapse into sauce quicker than they can fresh.

4. Roast them on a Tray

Soft ones and anything that sat a day too long belong here. Halve them and toss with olive oil and salt, then hold a low oven around 300F (150C) until they slump and go jammy at the edges – a couple of hours, unhurried. A full tray reduces to about two cups as the moisture leaves and the sugars pull together, and what comes out is far darker than what went in. Freeze it flat in portions – it thaws into sauce, or lands on bread as is.

5. Dry the Smallest Ones

Drying tomatoes is a great choice for the littlest specimens. Less moisture inside means less time on the trays, and they finish evenly instead of toughening outside while the middle stays damp. Halve them cut sides up and run a food dehydrator from Amazon at about 135F (57C) until they feel like leather rather than brittle chips. An oven set as low as it goes will manage it, at the cost of the kitchen for most of a day. Jars come next, shaken daily for a week; water beads on the glass mean another round of drying.

6. Save Seeds from the Best Plant

Only open-pollinated plants are worth saving from – hybrid seed comes back as something nobody planned. To save tomato seeds, squeeze the pulp of a few good ones into a jar with a splash of water, then leave it alone. A pale film forms across the top within a couple of days. That film is doing the work: the ferment strips off the gel coat that blocks germination and knocks back several seedborne diseases. Rinse, then dry the seed flat on a plate. Kept cool and dark, they will still come up even several years later.

7. Top the Vine

Indeterminate types climb until frost stops them, adding flowers that have no chance of finishing. Pruning tomatoes by cutting the growing tip roughly a month ahead of the average first frost redirects what remains into what is already on the vine, and it opens the canopy in the bargain. Determinate plants set their whole crop at once and need none of this. Thin the lowest leaves while the snips are out, since airflow near the soil tends to be poor by late summer.

8. Up the Potassium

Nitrogen at this stage buys foliage. Fertilize your tomatoes with a blend where potassium leads, such as Tomato-tone from Home Depot at 3-4-6, supports fruit quality instead of another flush of leaves. Water counts for just as much. Deep and regular beats a splash whenever someone remembers. Uneven moisture is behind the splitting, and behind most of the blossom end rot that gets blamed on soil calcium. A harvest like this is a good problem. Keep the water steady and the plant will go on handing fruit over right up to frost.

Cherry Tomato Essentials

The last few weeks, I’ve been loving seeing all the bees and butterflies doing their rounds and collecting supplies from all the salvia, helenium and flowering oregano currently bobbling in clouds around the backyard. But as early bloomers start to fade and gaps start appearing in beds, my friendly pollinators face the dreaded nectar gap. So I’m turning my attention to another vibrant summer stalwart that I know will bring on a flurry of late summer blooms, and that’s the aster.

There are two word-related things I love about growing asters. First, in floriography (the language of flowers), asters represent patience, which links up nicely with their late summer reputation as superheroes of the second wind. Another lovely association is that the name “aster” comes from the Greek for “star” (astro) and a goddess who wept star dust on the earth, prompting a trail of purple-blue blooms to bloom. The luminescent lavender-blue petals and teensy star-like buds, typical of varieties like Fikart’s Aster and Peachie’s Pick Stokes Aster from Plant Addicts, certainly make me think of summer stars twinkling in borders and pots.

Asters make generous flowering additions if planted now, with an astonishing capacity for blooms that go on for weeks and weeks. This is no fleeting summer fling. Those starry pastel and bubblegum tones add instant, lush daisy dynamics that can take you all the way through fall. And because they are perennials, they won’t just be fuelling migrating monarchs and other late summer pollinators this year: they’ll also be back next year for another star-studded performance. Here’s how easy it is to transform your sleepy midsummer gaps into a symphony of stars.

Why Plant Asters Now?

Now is the perfect time to plant asters of all hues. If you are after the king of the purples, go for Grape Crush New England Aster from Nature Hills. Or if you’re after a candy pink shade with more of a frilly look, you can get Proven Winners Henry III Pink Asters from Plant Addicts. From wild aromatic asters to classic New England showstoppers, planting in August gives instant gratification, while tapping into optimal soil conditions to help roots establish in record time.

Planting asters in August solves one of the trickiest gardening puzzles: deciding where you have room. Early flowering perennials have peaked, making bare patches and tired borders painfully obvious. You can easily slot asters where their color will do the most good. Bye-bye to early summer casualties, scrappy gaps, and faded bedside glamor – hello, jewel pinks, juicy purples, and twinkly blues!

The soil should be pleasantly warm, so aster starts and young plants can root and establish at lightning speed. If you’re not sure and want to check, use a thermometer like the Luster Leaf Rapitest Soil Thermometer from Amazon. Plus, midsummer sun angles and changing shadow patterns are fully visible now. Planting now lets you position your asters in spots that catch every last drop of golden afternoon light.

Just work a sprinkling of Espoma Organic Chicken Granular Manure from Walmart into the soil at planting time for a gentle, slow-release of nutrients to keep blooms powering on for longer. Planting asters now means you provide a critical lifeline for migrating monarchs and native bees. From the sky-blue spray of a Frikart's aster to the purpliest of all purples (like Purple Dome), now is the time to get them in the ground for the ultimate summer refresh. Here's how to do it right for beds and containers…

Grab Your Asters

Late summer is when asters take center stage, and these fast-flowering options will guarantee you aren’t staring at gaps for long. From compact gems that fit effortlessly into patio pots to back-of-border color-blockers, there’s an aster for every space. This trio of dreamy pastels, neon bubblegums, and royal purple perennials will add statement color that lasts for months. They can all be planted in August for blooms to first frost.

Dazzling Summer Fillers

Planting in Summer Beds and Borders

Plugging asters into tired-looking August borders is simple, but positioning depends on the eventual height and shape of your variety. Taller New England aster classics like neon pink Alma Potschke are perfect for backs of borders. Meanwhile, mounding growers like bubblegum Kickin Carmine Red from Plant Addicts easily fill mid-border gaps without needing stakes. While asters are great gap fillers, just make sure they will have good air flow, which is key to keeping these plants happy and disease-free.

Dig a wide hole and add a little phosphorus-rich feed like Down To Earth Organic Fish Bone Meal from Lowe’s to kickstart root growth and flower production. Once your plant is in position, backfill the hole, firm the soil gently around the base, and water deeply to eliminate air pockets. Add a couple of inches (5 cm) of an organic mulch like leaf mold or some Back to the Roots Organic Premium Shredded Bark Mulch from Amazon. This keeps ground temperatures cool, locks in moisture, and prevents fungal spores from splashing onto lower leaves during heavy rain.

Asters prefer at least six hours of sun daily, though in scorching yards, a touch of dappled afternoon shade helps pastel petals retain their vibrancy for longer. As flowers begin to open, routine maintenance takes just minutes a week. Just deadhead faded flower heads above a fresh leaf joint or lateral bud. This will pretty much guarantee your asters keep the bloom frenzy going well into fall. Lucky you!

Planting in Containers

By midsummer, patio pots may also be looking tired. Here, asters also make the ultimate late-summer container rescue plants. Compact cushion varieties like Wood’s Purple or Wood’s Pink are lovely in pots and bring rich, saturated color to doorsteps, balconies, and sun-drenched patios. Reaching just 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) tall, they quickly fill out in cheerful violet and bubblegum color without ever flopping or needing stakes. You can get Hirt’s Gardens’ Wood’s Pink Asters from Walmart as live plants for a little extra protection against mildew and extra rust resistance.

Because container roots can dry out fast in afternoon heat, plant your asters into a moisture-retaining blend like Espoma Organic Potting Mix, available from The Home Depot. This is packed with beneficial mycorrhizae to help roots anchor fast. To power non-stop flower production deep into October, it’s also a good idea to sprinkle in a little of your bone meal. Water daily in extended heat to keep plants lush and active. However, make sure you are watering directly at the soil line to keep foliage clean.

Asters have a reputation for attracting powdery mildew, which could be more of an issue in containers. However, there are ways around this. Modern dwarf asters and disease-resistant types like the Wood’s series are bred to fight off powdery mildew. But if you’re worried about humidity or crowded containers, keep a bottle of Bonide Copper Fungicide Spray from Amazon on hand. This help protect against powdery mildew and leaf spot. Pair your potted asters with trailing golden foliage or dark coral bells, and your porch containers will be buzzing with late-season pollinators right through to pumpkin season.

Great Planting Partners

Layering rich hues, tonal contrasts, and varied heights with the right plant partners will help you showcase your asters to full effect for the months ahead (and will also help keep pollinators happy for even longer). August is prime time for interplanting asters alongside hardy summer perennials that will stay vibrant right up to the first freeze. By choosing companions that share a fondness for full sun and well-drained soil, you ensure your midsummer refresh looks lush and established from day one.

Pair with indestructible rudbeckia or the dazzling spires of goldenrod (solidago) for savvy color contrasting. The rich gold and purple combination is one of nature’s favorite high-contrast color duos, practically vibrating with life in late-afternoon sunlight. Grow fellow native ‘Goldenrod’ by American Beauties from Plant Addicts. For textural variety, scatter frothy white yarrow (achillea) through the middle of the border, or a zingy color contrast with Yarrow Strawberry Seduction from Nature Hills. Yarrow's flat-bloom cluster clumps help give beneficial insects a sweet landing pad.

Fellow native purple coneflower (echinacea) introduces a strong silhouette. Even as their petals fade, their spiky seed cones provide texture and bronze tones for your starry aster clusters. Buy Clovers Garden Purple Coneflower Plants from Amazon. Nestle with some feathery ornamental grass like Purple Fountain Grass from Fast Growing Trees to offset brighter tones with graceful texture and movement. For patio displays and small-space vessels, add a splash of weeping golden creeping Jenny to cascade over container rims, and dwarf blue salvia for rich color spikes.

Shop Aster Essentials

Asters are resilient once settled, but giving your starts a little extra TLC when planting in August makes all the difference. Late-summer planting generally means warm ground and high sun, so your main focus is accelerating root establishment, protecting against heat shock, and encouraging non-stop flower fabulousness through to fall frosts. Treating your new plants to high-quality organic amendments, bloom-boosting feeds, and protective mulches will keep those daisy-like stars exploding with color right up until the first winter freeze.

Bloom Care Trio

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Buying the best seasonal decor is getting to be like shopping for swimwear: wait till it’s time to actually use them, and all the nicest stuff has sold out. Which is why I’ve got all eyes on the new fall range from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia that dropped this week at Target. Meteorologists are predicting a false fall for 2026, with heat-stressed trees shedding leaves early and nuts and berries ripening faster than normal. So surely I need to get my fall decor started early, too?

There's plenty to please plant-lovers in the new range, with pretty pleated ceramic vases and framed floral wall art in sepia shades, the cutest mushroom bookends and a cheeky brass pheasant that would look so sweet peeking from behind the fronds of a houseplant. But what's really caught my attention is all the fabulous faux fall foliage.

From shapely gingko leaves to golden yellow aspen and the prettiest red Pacific dogwood, the sunset foliage shades are rich without being too brazen, and realistic enough to cut the mustard. I like to pair fresh flowers with a few artificial foliage stems as it makes for such a quick and easy arrangement, and the warm tones of these poly leaves would pair perfectly with late-summer coneflowers, sneezeweed and black-eyed Susan. Decisions, decisions!

Pretty Stems in Vases

Is there an easier way to turn up the style dial in your home than with a simple vase and a few stems of seasonal foliage? I don't think so. Whether you stand an arrangement on a hallway table to welcome visitors as they step through the front door, or pop one on a sill to bring the colors of the season in through the window, this is such an easy win.

Versatile Wreaths and Garlands

Yes, a wreath is a lovely way to add some seasonality to your front door, but it's equally pretty hanging indoors. I'm a big fan of laying a wreath flat on a table or sideboard, then standing a simple jar of flowers in the centre. The same goes with a garland – by all means string it up, but it looks so stylish laid flat along a mantel, too.

Glorious Golden Stems

A few standalone stems are so useful to have when adding seasonal decor to your home. Tuck them into an informal bunch of fresh flowers in a ceramic jug to create a seasonal showstopper. Got family or friends coming over for a special fall mean? Lay a couple of sprays flat, stem-end to stem-end in the center of the table. You could snip individual twigs to twist into napkin rings, too.

For plants, daylight is the signal, not the calendar hanging in the garage. Shorter days and cooler nights begin to tell an established shrub to quit growing and start packing reserves into the roots and stems, and that shift is usually well underway before anyone even notices it happening. Drop a scoop of plant food on it right then and the whole thing runs backward. Timing ends up mattering more than dosage.

The usual rules about fertilizer apply less in August than in almost any other month of the season. Soft new growth needs weeks to firm up before frost, and nitrogen delivered now produces exactly the tissue that will not make it through. Some plants take that hit harder than others.

Six Plants to Take Off the Feeding Schedule in August

None of these are off fertilizer permanently. They just need a few months without it, and in most regions August is where that pause starts.

1. Roses

Bright red new shoots on a rose bush in September look like a win, but they're not. Those canes are mostly water. They never firm up, and a hard freeze kills them outright, usually taking a few inches (5-8cm) of decent wood underneath along with them. There is a disease angle here too – extra foliage keeps humidity trapped around the bush, and black spot (Diplocarpon rosae) does its best work on tender tissue.

Six to eight weeks ahead of the average first frost is the usual cutoff, which puts most of the country somewhere in August. Deadheading can taper off around the same time, since letting a few hips form sends the shrub the signal it is hunting for. Potassium is the single exception here, though. A measured dose of sulfate of potash-magnesia from Amazon supports cell walls and cold tolerance without pushing any new shoots.

2. Tomatoes

Nitrogen in August buys leaves, not fruit. A tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) carrying a full set of green fruit will happily route a late feed into fresh stems, and what is hanging on the vine colors up slower for it. Denser growth traps moisture in the canopy too, which suits septoria leaf spot (Septoria lycopersici) and late blight (Phytophthora infestans) far better than it suits the gardener. Whatever has set by now carries the sugars it needs to finish out. Steady water and a bit of thinning down low are the useful moves now, and then you let the plant finish what it started.

3. Bigleaf Hydrangeas

Next spring's flowers are being decided right now. Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) sets buds on old wood through late summer and into fall, and a nitrogen push at that point puts out sappy shoots that carry those buds into winter unprepared. The shoots die back. Buds go with them, and the plant leafs out beautifully in spring with nothing on it. Nobody enjoys finding that out in May.

Panicle and smooth hydrangeas flower on new wood and shrug the whole thing off, which is why one gardener swears feeding is harmless while their neighbor blames it for a blank season.

4. Blueberries

Pine bark mulch from Home Depot is the better late-season investment for a blueberry patch. Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) runs a shallow, fine root system that keeps taking up nitrogen well past the stage where the bush should be shutting down, and that uptake can delay dormancy right as cold hardening ought to be underway.

Their feeding window closes early anyway – bud break through midsummer, under most guidance. Growth pushed this close to autumn rarely survives a hard freeze anyway. Mulch holds moisture and steadies soil temperature through the final hot stretch, and that is what those roots are after.

5. Japanese Maples

Scorched leaf margins in midsummer send people hunting for a deficiency. Water or reflected heat is nearly always the real culprit, and Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) grows slowly by nature – the tree is not asking for more. Nitrogen this close to frost throws thin tips that will not lignify in time, plus muddier fall color, since the sugars behind red pigment develop best in a tree that is winding down.

A soil test kit from Amazon settles the question before anything gets applied. Plenty of established maples in decent ground go years without any feeding.

6. Peonies

Peonies (Paeonia lactiflora) finished their year in early summer. What the foliage does now is pack sugars into the crown for next spring, and a late feed will not speed that along – it leaves soft tissue and spare nitrogen sitting around a plant already prone to botrytis blight (Botrytis paeoniae).

Early spring and the weeks just after bloom are the windows that count. Leave the leaves standing until they yellow on their own, then cut them back. Skipping the August feed on all six of these is that rare piece of garden advice that costs nothing and pays out later, so do less now and let the plants handle the rest. Restraint is a harder habit than feeding, but it is the one that shows up in next year's growth. Give these six a quiet finish to the season and they will come back better for it.

I'm no stranger to heatwave anxiety. Every time the forecast starts creeping into the high 90s, I find myself wandering around the garden with a watering can, mentally apologizing to whichever plant I've inevitably forgotten. The tomatoes get extra attention, the containers become my full-time job, and I'm forever checking whether anything looks a bit droopy.

Wildlife has always been part of that equation, too. I keep bird feeders topped up, try to garden with pollinators in mind, and never need much encouragement to stop and admire a bumblebee going about its business. A recent CBS 8 San Diego report about birds and other wildlife struggling to find enough shade and fresh water during extreme heat, though, still stopped me in my tracks.

It wasn't that I hadn't realized heatwaves were hard on wildlife; of course I had. Seeing just how desperate the search for something as simple as a drink of water can become, though? Well, it broke my heart more than a little bit... and it made me look at my own garden differently, too.

5 Ways To Make Your Garden A Lifeline For Wildlife During A Heatwave

If you're just as concerned about local critters as I am (particularly your birth month animal), your garden could be the answer – especially if you want to offer them a little relief when temperatures become dangerous. And I have good news for you on that front, because helping doesn't have to be complicated.

These are the five simple things I'm doing to make my garden a little kinder to wildlife during a heatwave. Feel free to join me, so we can all make things a little easier on them...

1. I'm Keeping A Bird Bath Filled With Fresh Water

One of the easiest things you can do to help wildlife during a heatwave, a bird bath gives birds somewhere to drink and cool off when natural water sources begin drying up. You can buy one or make your own DIY bird bath, it doesn't really matter; just make sure you pop it somewhere that's easy to spot but close enough to shrubs that birds have somewhere safe to retreat if they feel threatened.

I'm also making a point of refreshing the water every day during hot weather. Not only does clean water encourage more wildlife to visit, but changing it regularly also helps stop mosquitoes from breeding (something nobody wants; no offence to the skeeters, but they're the one critter I'm not actively seeking to help when things heat up).

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2. I'm Making A Bee Watering Station

Birds aren't the only thirsty visitors; bees and butterflies need water too! For these mini pollinators, deep bowls can quickly become dangerous, so I've filled a shallow saucer with fresh water and scattered a handful of pebbles across the bottom. The stones give insects somewhere safe to land while they drink, turning an ordinary dish into a tiny pollinator pit stop.

It's one of the easiest wildlife projects I've ever done, and it takes less than five minutes to put together. That being said, the Bee Cups on Amazon are an even easier option. Designed by an ecological artist, they are, quite honestly, the perfect vessel for attracting bees – not to mention a place for them to safely stop, drink the water they need, and rest without drowning. And they're incredibly beautiful, too, so they make perfect holiday gifts for wildlife lovers.

3. I'm Leaving More Shady Spots

For years, I thought a tidy garden was automatically a better garden. Now I'm learning that wildlife (especially wildlife during a heatwave) often disagrees.

Dense flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses, climbing plants and even the cool shade beneath larger perennials all create places where animals can escape the hottest part of the day. Living mulch plants, too, cut watering down dramatically. Rather than cutting everything back or clearing every corner, I'm leaving those cooler pockets exactly as they are so that nature can provide its own air conditioning.

Which is why, yes, my fence has all but disappeared behind a dense wall of climbing passionflower and hops (hey, the butterflies seem to be big fans! So sue me!).

4. I'm Letting Part Of My Garden Stay A Little Wild

A gardener's first instinct, it feels, is always to tidy; deadhead the flowers, sweep up the leaves, trim the edges, mow the lawn... you get the picture. If you want to help wildlife during a heatwave, though, those slightly untidy corners become valuable shelter.

Yes, log piles, tree stumps, seed heads (I actually love the look of a dried allium seed head!), and dense planting all help create cooler and more humid microclimates where insects and other small creatures can ride out the hottest weather.

I've decided my garden can survive looking just a little less perfect for a few weeks. Which is why (horror of horrors!) I've got a pile of dead leaves and cuttings at the very back of the garden, which has become something of an insect equivalent to Disney World. It's hidden behind my magnolia tree, so I can't see it unless I go hunting, but it's there doing its bit for my birth month bug and his friends. Which means, in turn, it's doing a lot of good for hungry birds, too (including, ironically, my birth month bird. Favouritism, eh?).

5. I'm Planting To Support Pollinators

Yes, growing pretty flowers can be a godsend for bees, butterflies and other pollinators when they need it most. Try to stick to nectar-rich flowers that continue blooming through the hottest weeks of summer, especially native species where possible.

Coneflowers, asters, blazing star, bee balm and native sunflowers should do the trick nicely, while brightening your borders at the same time.

Shop Heat-Tolerant, Pollinator-Friendly Blooms:

Look, I'm under no illusion that one bird bath or a few extra flowers will solve everything (there is a lot more that everyone needs to be doing to help wildlife during a heatwave). Still, if every gardener offered a drink of water, a patch of shade and a few safe places to rest, together we'd create thousands of small refuges woven through our neighborhoods.

To quote Michael Pollen, "The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world."

I love that. Let's all of us strive to garden with that in mind, then, shall we?

Is it any surprise I've been busy searching for a way to feed birds and banish slugs at the same time? Hardly; even though they're just trying to live their little slug lives, I have long been at war with this garden pest (my poor lupins appear to be their favorite restaurant).

I never learn my lesson; every year I lovingly grow plants, admire the first fresh leaves and wait for those beautiful flowers to arrive... only to find that the slugs have beaten me to it. However, I have always had a much softer spot for another garden visitor: birds – they can eat every single one of my strawberries and I will forgive them without question.

My obsession started when my granddad first taught me how to identify common songbirds by their calls. He'd point out a trill or a whistle before I had even spotted the bird itself, and ever since then I've been fascinated by the tiny flashes of color, movement and personality that appear in the garden – particularly when it comes to my birth month bird, obviously. And what the bird that visits my garden most says about me.

So when I discovered there might be a way to combine my two garden passions (aka encouraging more birds while dealing with slugs naturally), you'd best believe I was immediately interested.

How To Feed Birds And Banish Slugs At The Same Time

it sounds too good to be true, right? And yet the idea is surprisingly simple: if you want to feed birds and banish slugs at the same time, al you have to do is take a leftover orange or grapefruit, cut it in half and place the empty halves around the garden.

That's it. Done. Finito! The fruit acts as a small feeding station for visiting birds like orioles , while the cool, damp space beneath the rind can provide a tempting hiding place for slugs.

According to Richard Green, a bird feeding specialist at Kennedy Wild Bird Food & Pet Supplies, the idea works because it brings two parts of the garden ecosystem together.

“Using citrus-fruit traps is a fantastic, natural alternative for pest control in the garden. Cutting an orange or grapefruit in half and placing the halves throughout your garden can serve a dual purpose. Birds are drawn to the fruit, and slugs are attracted to the leftover rinds," he says. "Once the slugs gather, the birds will return to eat them, creating an effective and eco-friendly way to manage pests.”

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Now, I should say that I don't expect a grapefruit half to single-handedly solve every slug problem overnight, but I love the idea behind it. Rather than declaring war on every creature that wanders into my flower beds, this feels like a way to work with nature – giving birds another reason to visit while making my garden slightly less appealing to its tiniest (and hungriest) enemies.

All hail, then, the power of the citrus fruit! I shall be taking care to share my breakfast grapefruit with my feathered friends from now on...

Gardening when the summer sun is blazing down on you, and your sweat is mixing with the yucky taste of sunscreen dripping from your nose, is no joke. When the heat index is climbing, and the humidity kicks in, weeding your vegetable garden feels like an endurance event. So, what’s the fix?

A misting fan is one of the most effective ways to make gardening in the summer bearable; the combo of airflow and fine water spray can drop the temperature around you by up to 15 degrees. If you're already taking steps to protect your garden in the heat, a misting fan is a natural companion. Modern cordless misting fans have come a long way from the cheap squeeze-bottle versions of a decade ago.

Today's options range anywhere from high-capacity floor fans with multi-gallon tanks and 40-hour battery life, to compact individual units that you can clip to a golf cart or your folding table. Some can even be connected to a garden hose for continuous misting, and others have tanks that can run on their own without a water source. We've rounded up six of the best across a range of price points, sourced from Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe's.

This was the highest-rated overall misting fan in independent testing for 2026, and it's easy to see why. It weighs less than 4 pounds and comes with a built-in handle and integrated water tank. You can easily move it from a patio table to a deck to an outdoor grill station, and its dry-touch evaporative mist keeps you cool without getting furniture or plants wet.

Five speed settings, including a BreezeBoost mode, a tilting face, and the ability to run corded or cordless, give it a versatility no other model can match. The battery lasts up to 29 hours on the lowest setting without mist. You can also connect it to a standard garden hose, and you can add ice to the tank for an even cooler output during a heatwave.

This is currently a bestseller on Amazon in the misting fan category, and it’s seriously capable for your patio or garden. It has a built-in water pump that can draw directly from any container, and the dual spray nozzles put out an exceptionally fine mist.

Seven speed settings, 45/90 degree auto oscillation, and a remote control (with 5-meter range) make it easy to use from a chair if you’re feeling too lazy from the heat, while the brushless motor keeps the noise low so you can still enjoy some peace and quiet. The 30,000mAh battery runs continuously for 7–50 hours depending on what speed you set, and the fan head can be taken off and folded for storage.

This is a super compact but capable misting fan with a 2-litre tank; the tank is even clear so you can easily monitor the water level without stopping mid-weeding to check. The 27,600mAh battery powers four wind speeds and 120-degree auto-oscillation. It has a timer function and built-in RGB ambient lighting so you can use it for a serene evening on your patio.

This is a great middle-of-the-road option for people who want something more portable than a full pedestal fan but with more features and battery capacity than a basic handheld model. The nice thing is that it’s super light as well, so you can carry it around the garden, but it’s still sturdy enough to leave on while you work.

This is the RYOBI option for those who want more power and less noise (yes, these things exist). This 12-inch hybrid fan is part of RYOBI's WHISPER SERIES, and when “whisper” is in the name, you know it’s their quietest range. It still delivers up to 1,400 CFM and a 15-foot misting spray range when you connect it to a standard garden hose.

It has a pivoting head and HI/LO airflow switch that gives you great flexibility, and it functions as a regular fan when the misting feature isn't needed. Like all RYOBI ONE+ products, it's compatible with over 300 battery-powered tools in the ecosystem. If you use power tools regularly in the garden and already have ONE+ batteries, this is the most versatile in the range.

EGO claims this is the world’s most powerful cordless misting fan, and the specs actually back this up. Air speeds exceed 20mph with airflow from 1,500 to 5,000 CFM across five speed settings (that's double the output of a standard 20-inch box fan!) The hose can be dropped into any bucket or container for its misting source, and will cover up to 540 square feet of outdoor space (about the size of a large entertaining patio).

It runs on EGO's ARC Lithium battery system, with up to 60 hours of run time on speed 1 with a 5.0Ah battery (note: this is sold separately). The telescopic handle and super sturdy wheels make it easy to move around the yard. If you just want real cooling power, this is seriously the one to get.

If you’re looking for something that has everything included in the one box, this is the one you want. The SKIL comes with the fan, a 12V 2.0Ah USB-C battery, a 20W charger, and a charging cable. This means you’re all ready to go right away without purchasing a separate battery.

The water tank is easy to fill and move without needing a separate bucket, and the removable nozzle can be taken apart for easy cleaning. Three fan speeds, two misting modes, and an adjustable kickstand so you can use it on uneven surfaces make it perfect for the garden. The USB-C battery even doubles as a power bank for charging your phone, which can be seriously useful when you’re working on the garden for a long period of time.

The runtime is up to 4 hours with mist on low; this is shorter than larger models, but it's a compact personal fan rather than a patio unit, so we’ll let it slide.

A Few Things to Know Before You Buy

Misting fans work best in lower humidity conditions. In dry heat, the perceived temperature drop can be quite dramatic, whereas in humid climates it’s less effective (though still noticeable!) If you're gardening in a hot, dry area, misting fans are one of the most effective tools available. If you’re in a more humid climate, look for a model that with a “dry fan only” only mode so you can switch off the moisture when you don’t need it.

Something also worth noting is that misting fans can also benefit your plants as much as you. If you have plants that love moisture, the fine water droplets are great to keep them from drying out on a hot afternoon, and the cooling effect can reduce stress on container plants in particular. Note: Avoid directing mist at plants that prefer dry conditions, such as lavender and rosemary.

For more on keeping your garden going through the hottest part of summer, our full guide to gardening in a heatwave is worth bookmarking before temperatures peak.

As soon as hummingbirds have done raising their brood, they start growing new feathers so they’re in tip-top shape for their fall migration. So right now, they’re in full plumage preparation, and there’s a simple way you can help hummingbirds get their feathers fully flight-ready, no matter how big or small your garden. You see, hummers need water to clean and preen their feathers, but they have super-short legs so don’t often land in bird baths. Instead, they seek out fountains and waterfalls where they can fly through airborne sprays of water – and that’s where you come in.

Adding a cheap floating solar-powered fountain to your bird bath – or, even better, fashioning a purpose-made hummer splashpark with a container and said garden gadget – will give hummingbirds the sprays of water they’re looking for at this time of year. Making a garden feature with a floating solar fountain is cheap, easy and sounds just as lovely as it looks. And boy, is it fun to watch those speedy hummers scooting though!

In the north, hummers begin their epic fall journey in August; in southern states, September to October is peak travel time – so now is the exact right moment to support hummingbirds in this simple way.

It’s estimated that 8-10% of adult hummingbirds die during the fall migration (the figure is devastatingly high among juveniles making their first journey, with a 60-70% mortality rate), and having plumage in prime shape makes a difference. Clean, preened feathers are essential for insulation and waterproofing as well as efficient flight – and you’ll understand why these are all such critical factors when you consider that many species must fly a non-stop marathon of 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico as part of their migration.

Ready to help? Here’s everything you need to know to make a quick garden fountain this weekend, and help our feathered friends on their way.

How to Make a Fountain For Hummingbirds

It’s quick and easy to make a fountain for hummingbirds, but there are a few critical factors to get right if you want lots of hummers to use their new garden spa facility.

1. Choose the Right Container

Many bird baths aren’t wide enough to house a floating solar-powered fountain – not because the fountain won’t physically fit in the basin, but because the spray falls outside the rim so water quickly empties. If your bird bath has a large diameter, great. If not, there are all sorts of ways to DIY a bird bath on a budget by using upcycled or reclaimed items or cheap vessels such as plant-pot saucers and animal stock feeders, and making your own means you can choose whatever diameter you fancy.

For water to be safe for hummingbirds to land in, it must be incredibly shallow: no more than a ½ inch deep. So, you may want to keep your existing bird bath as is for most of your feathered friends and make an additional hummingbird fountain. Because hummers are very unlikely to land – and if they do, they'll sit on the fountain itself – you can use a bigger, deeper container that holds a far greater volume of water so it won’t need topping up every day. A wider container also means you can use a more powerful floating solar fountain to create a higher, fuller spray of water for hummingbirds to enjoy.

You don’t need to buy an expensive water bowl, as you probably already own a perfectly suitable container. It’s a simple job to seal the drainage hole of an old planter or make a vintage vessel watertight with a marine silicone sealant like this from Amazon. Pots intended for succulents typically don’t have drainage holes, or have a hunt in your local hardware store for a budget utility tub.

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If you are using a deeper container, do fashion a ramp from a piece of wood so any critters who fall into the water can climb out safely, or add a purpose-made wildlife ramp such as this from Amazon.

2. Match the Fountain Power to the Container Size

So you don’t continually lose water over the sides of your bird bath or container, it’s important to match the power of the solar fountain to the size of the vessel it’ll sit in. The amount of energy the solar panels are capable of generating is measured in watts. For a bird bath fountain, a 1W or 1.5W product is plenty powerful enough. In a larger container, a fountain that’s at least 2.5W will power a higher spray and stronger flow of water. Don’t be tempted by a fountain that’s above 5W as these are designed for larger bodies of water.

Choose a product with stabilising arms as these will stop the fountain floating close to the container rim, minimizing water loss. A fountain that comes with plenty of nozzles will allow you to select a spray pattern that falls within the bowl, too. For longevity in a container, it’s also a smart move to look for a fountain with run-dry protection so it automatically shuts down when there’s insufficient water.

If you want to position your hummingbird fountain in partial shade, or want it to operate on cloudy days, you’ll need a product that has a battery. A fountain without a battery will only operate when sunlight is hitting its solar panels; a fountain with a battery will store energy to run in-between times. A battery size of 2000mAh or higher will typically run a fountain for 3-4 hours without sun on a full charge.

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3. Find the Optimum Spot for Your Hummingbird Fountain

Considering the perfect position for your hummingbird fountain will make all the difference to how often it will be used, and how much it will benefit your feathered friends. Placing the fountain within 20 feet of an existing nectar feeder will ensure birds find it quickly. Airborne water naturally cools the air, so think where it might bring you or your plants some benefit, too.

While you need direct sunlight to power the fountain’s solar panels – and sparkling sunlit water droplets and reflections will also attract hummers – if you've chosen a fountain with a battery, then a little shade will lessen evaporation meaning you won’t need to top up as often. A spot that gets around 6 hours of sun a day is the ideal compromise. If it's sheltered, all the better, as wind will also accelerate water loss.

The airspace around the fountain must be fairly clear. While hummers will appreciate perches to preen within 6 feet of the fountain, it’s important it's sited well away from dense shrubs or other cover where cats and other predators could hide. Hanging up hummingbird swings such as these from Walmart is a great solution.

Once you’ve found the perfect spot, put your bird bath or container in place, fill with water, add the floating fountain and wait for the hummers to arrive.

Why a Garden Water Feature Helps Hummingbirds So Much

While hummingbirds get most of the fluid they need from supping nectar, water is vital to the feather-cleaning process. If they have easy access to a suitable water supply, it’s thought hummers bathe around four times a day. With any sticky residue from their diet of flower nectar and sugar water preventing feathers from performing properly, it's no wonder they’re such frequent bathers.

After dampening their feathers, hummingbirds will perch and preen, using their bills to spread natural oils and zip up the feather barbs, an especially important process during their annual molt. At this time of the year, hummingbirds have begun the gradual process of losing and replacing their feathers, and at the moment will be molting their body feathers (the molting process then halts during migration, and wing and tail feathers are replaced once birds have reached their wintering zone).

Landing in water is risky for hummingbirds as their legs typically measure less than half an inch, and completely saturating their feathers can leave them unable to fly and vulnerable to drowning as well as being snatched by predators. So hummers prefer to shower rather than bathe, darting repeatedly through sprays of water. Imagine if everyone with garden bird baths created the right conditions for hummers to clean their plumage: not only would feathers be fully migration-ready, but hummingbirds would save a heap of energy searching out suitable spots for a shower.

How to Make Your Fountain Into a Fab Garden Feature

Your new hummingbird fountain looks fabulous just how it is, right? Well, there are all sorts of easy ways you can upgrade it another notch to be a standout garden feature. Use a solar-powered floating fountain with LEDs to create a water feature to light up summer evenings in the garden. Or how about introducing a second, wider planter beneath to DIY a fountain planter for colorful flowers as well as cascades of water and flurries of feathers? Microponds using solar fountains are a huge trend this year, so you could add serious style to your backyard design while helping hummingbirds.

As quick and clever ideas for garden containers go, making a hummingbird fountain is a sure winner.

What Else to do to Support Hummingbirds Before the Great Migration

• Keep feeders clean and filled with sugar water prepared to the correct concentration. This will fuel not only your resident population of hummers but also birds passing through if you’re on a migratory route. Keep feeders filled for two weeks after you see the last hummingbird.
• Act now to fill your garden with fall nectar. Choose perennial plants that flower well into fall and, if you’re on a budget, there are lots of fast-growing annual plants you can still sow in midsummer that will speed from seed to bloom in as few as 45 days. Adding flowering groundcover to borders is another easy win for a long-lasting nectar buffet, or how about planting a hanging basket of nectarous blooms to feed hummingbirds?
• Use decals, such as these Suncatcher Stickers from Amazon, to prevent window strikes.

Late summer is a transition period in the garden. While many plants are still blooming and thriving, others are setting seed and preparing for the oncoming winter. Selective pruning now can help certain plants by managing unruly growth or even encouraging a second flush of flowers.

As a general rule, August is not the right time for heavy pruning on most plants. Focus on light maintenance cuts, deadheading, and strategic trimming to prepare these plants for winter.

Late Summer Pruning Tips

First, let’s revisit some pruning basics. Individual plants have their own needs, but these general rules will help you safely trim plants in late summer without encouraging too much tender new growth before colder weather arrives.

• Never prune with dull or dirty tools. Clean and sharpen your pruners or shears before you begin, as blunt blades can crush stems and leave ragged wounds, while contaminated tools may spread disease between plants. Bypass pruners are usually the best choice for making clean cuts through live stems. The Felco F6 Bypass Pruning Shears, available on Amazon, were rated the best pruners in our testing. To keep your blades performing well, use a Corona sharpener, also available from Amazon.
• Begin by removing the 3 Ds. That means removing dead, damaged, or diseased growth. These branches and stems can be taken out whenever you notice them, regardless of the season. Remove suckers and badly crossing or rubbing branches where appropriate, but avoid taking out large amounts of healthy growth at this time of year.
• Thinning or heading cuts? For most late-summer pruning, use thinning cuts rather than heavy heading cuts. Thinning involves removing a stem or branch at its point of origin to improve airflow and reduce congestion. Heading back shortens a stem to a bud or side branch, but it can stimulate fresh growth, so use it sparingly as fall approaches.
• Keep cuts light and purposeful. Focus on deadheading, tidying unruly growth, improving airflow, and maintaining the plant’s natural shape. Avoid hard renovation pruning unless the plant specifically benefits from it in late summer, and stop pruning early enough for any new growth to harden before the first frost.

Plants to Prune in August

August is not the time for widespread or heavy pruning, but a selective trim can benefit certain plants. These are some of the best candidates to prune now to control unruly growth, encourage fresh flowers, or prepare them for the season ahead.

1. Lavender

Lavender is a popular herb and small woody shrub prized for its delicate purple flowers, silvery foliage, and intoxicating aroma. It attracts pollinators and thrives in summer heat, tolerating drought conditions once established.

Lightly pruning lavender in August – after the final flush of flowers has faded – is a good way to maintain a tidy shape. In colder regions, do this early enough for any new growth to harden before your first frost date. If flowering continues late into the season, remove only the spent flower stems and wait until spring for shaping.

Otherwise, cut back the leafy green growth by no more than about one-third. Don’t cut into older, leafless woody growth, as it may not resprout.

2. Wisteria

Wisteria is a beautiful vine that blooms abundantly with hanging clusters of lilac-blue flowers. It’s great for covering arbors and pergolas and can also be trained into a small tree form. Due to being an extremely vigorous, fast-growing plant, wisteria requires twice-annual pruning to manage: once in late summer and again in winter.

To prune wisteria in summer, wait until the vine is finished blooming and then trim back the long, whippy shoots produced that year to about five or six leaves from the main branch. This controls its spread and encourages flower-bud formation. Leave selected shoots longer only where they are needed to extend the plant’s framework, and remove suckers at the base. In winter, shorten the same shoots again to two or three buds.

For tall wisteria, rather than balancing on a ladder, try a telescopic pole pruner, like Fiskars' 2-in-1 Extendable Tree Pruner and Pole Saw.

3. Rambling Rose

Rambling roses are climbing shrubs rather than true vines. They produce long, flexible canes that can be trained to grow up and over arbors, fences, walls, and other structures. Most are single bloomers, producing a spectacular flush of abundant blooms in early summer.

Late summer, after flowering, is a good time for routine rambling rose pruning. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased growth first. Then, remove about one in three of the oldest stems at ground level. Trim back the newer green growth a little and tie these canes to the support structure to keep them safe and healthy for next year.

4. Tomatoes

By August, all the hard work you have put into your tomato plants should finally be paying off with ripe fruits you can harvest until early fall. On the other hand, August is when indeterminate tomato plants can start to get a little unruly. Instead of just letting them go, a quick tidying prune now helps prevent disease and may lead to better fruit. Determinate varieties, however, generally should not be topped or heavily pruned because they produce a fixed crop.

To prune tomatoes, start by removing lower leaves that are touching the soil, along with yellow or diseased foliage. Thin dense upper foliage only where necessary to improve airflow, and remove suckers from indeterminate varieties. A thumb knife, like this one from Amazon, makes pruning tomato plants quick and easy.

About five weeks before your area’s expected first frost, remove new flowers, newly set fruit that will not have time to mature, and excessive new growth. Blooms opening later than this are unlikely to produce ripe tomatoes before frost, so removing them allows the plant to concentrate on fruit already developing.

5. Summer-Blooming Perennials

Many summer-blooming perennials look ragged and tired by August. Some declining herbaceous perennials that have finished flowering can be cut back to near ground level, but this treatment is not suitable for every plant. Trim back dead, yellowing, or diseased stems on plants that are still flowering. You can leave some flowers in place to develop seed heads to feed wildlife. Coneflowers and black-eyed Susans are particularly useful for this purpose.

Some of your perennials may flower once more if you trim them back in August. Coreopsis and catmint are good examples. Cut coreopsis back after its first display and shear catmint by about one-third to one-half once it finishes flowering. Deadhead spent flower spikes on perennial salvia and delphinium for a chance of more late-season blooms. With garden phlox, deadheading is more likely to extend the display and prevent unwanted seedlings than to produce a distinct second flush.

6. Herbs

Many leafy herbs benefit from regular harvesting in late summer, but avoid a hard cut on woody or perennial herbs as fall approaches. Oregano, mint, marjoram, and sage can be harvested or lightly trimmed, but remove no more than about one-third of a perennial herb’s growth at one time. This can encourage fresh leaves for a fall harvest without stimulating excessive tender growth before cold weather.

Many culinary herbs have their best flavor just before flowering, and leaf production often declines once they bloom. Deadheading spent flowers can encourage continued leaf production in many leafy herbs, although you may want to leave some flowers for pollinators or seed collection. In general, it’s a good idea to harvest your herbs throughout the growing season, both so you can use them and so that they continue putting out healthy growth.

Essential Pruning Tools

What Not to Prune in August

The above plants can benefit from a light to medium trim in August, but some plants should be left alone at this time of year. In particular, avoid pruning most spring-flowering shrubs in August. Many have already formed the buds that will produce next year’s flowers, and pruning now may remove them. Also avoid giving evergreens more than a light trim, as new growth stimulated late in the season may not harden sufficiently before winter.

For plants that benefit from an August trim, use a light hand, work with clean, sharp tools, and focus on shaping, deadheading, and removing damaged growth. Too much pruning can trigger tender new growth that may be damaged by cold weather.

Lovely summer weather is the perfect time for kids to enjoy the outdoors and let their imaginations run wild. I still look back fondly on the days I'd spend in my local park as a kid, making up pretend games with my brothers and seeing how high we could get from the ground on the swing set.

However, it would always be a shame when the play area was covered in bird poop. I used to bring kitchen towels along with me to put onto the seats of the swings to avoid sitting on it, or I'd just play somewhere else and accept defeat.

Attracting birds to your backyard is a worthy endeavor but sometimes they seem to poop in all the worst places! (If they have already done their business, check out our guide to cleaning bird poop). And if you're wondering why that seems to be, you've come to the right place. I talked to Bob Mulvihill from the National Aviary to learn why kids playsets are a magnet for bird poop as well as how it can be prevented. Here's what he had to share.

Why Do Birds Poop on Kids' Playsets?

If a bird needs to poop, they are going to poop anywhere, but there's a particular reason why the likes of kids' playsets end up pooped on more often than open spaces: they offer birds the perfect spot to perch.

As Bob explains: "Birds of all kinds naturally like to perch up off the ground to get a better view of their surroundings, and if there isn’t a rock, tree, bush, or fence post close by, but there is a swing set or scattered lawn toys, they will use those as perches instead."

Even if garden birds aren't perching there specifically to poop, after enjoying their time admiring the view from on top of your kids' playsets they might need to go before flying away.

There are a number of kid-friendly ways to make the likes of swing sets less appealing to perch on. However preventative measures such as bird spikes, which are commonly used in cities to stop pigeons from landing on buildings, are a rather dangerous option.

Child-Friendly Ways to Prevent Birds From Pooping on Playsets

You can't entirely prevent birds from ever being able to poop on your kids' playsets unless you put them away or fully cover them up when they're not in use. However, there are many methods out there to make kids' playsets less appealing to land on, which will significantly decrease the chance of birds perching on them while they do their business.

Bob recommends using a mixture of "plastic owls, reflective strips and wind spinners" to deter birds from the area. Seeing objects that are shiny or moving, as well as birds of prey, will make feathery friends think twice about where they land. You can find mylar reflective ribbon on Amazon. Though Bob also noted it's important to switch up what you're using as over time the bird visiting your yard will get used to the deterrents and ignore them.

Two other options Bob recommended are using bird repellent sprays like the Nature Stop Bird Repellent Spray from Amazon as well as ultrasonic bird repellers like this Solar Ultrasonic Repellent Device from Amazon.

The sprays contain natural essential oils that are harmless to humans but irritating to birds. Meanwhile the ultrasonic repellers emit a frequency of noise that birds don't enjoy hearing that humans won't be able to notice.

How to Clean Bird Poop Off of Your Playsets

It's best to remove any bird poop from your playsets before applying repellents so they can best adhere to the surface.

If the bird poop is still wet you can simply wipe it off using a cloth and a mixture of warm water and soap. But if you're dealing with stubborn dried patches of bird poop, laying a damp cloth on top of it to soften it can be really helpful in making it easier to wipe away.

You can also add some white vinegar into your cleaning water to sterilize the surface too if you wish. Don't forget to give metal surfaces like swing poles a wipe down with a dry cloth after you're finished cleaning to help prevent the development of rust!

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