Surrey Homes | SH79 | August 2021 | Adding value to your property supplement inside

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The beautiful Geranium phaeum
late additions like dahlias for autumn colour but having
said that, where there’s a will, there’s a way! We still had
Geranium phaeum, which started flowering in the spring,
sending up a few late flower stems until mid July but now
it has had the ‘Chelsea Chop’ a bit late (like the Chelsea
Flower Show this year). Actually it has done it good as
the plants are going on to produce good fresh foliage.
So August remains a time for planning for late summer
onwards and not worrying too much about brownish
lawns; for collecting seeds and taking cuttings. And
thinking ahead to next year, hopefully No Mow May
will be extended and any new lawns being planted may
contain a mix of meadow species to encourage biodiversity
and help us to share our space with myriad creatures.
In August you can plan ahead by sourcing tree species for
planting in the winter that will cope with the conditions
you have. I suppose this might be a bit difficult as we are
never quite sure what tomorrow’s weather will bring. We’ve
had howling winds intermittently for months and so it
is worth thinking about robust trees that will be able to
cope with these unseasonal conditions. We have an edible
quince here in a south facing garden but which always
gets hit by the south westerlies. At the time of planting,
we didn’t really know much and that we weren’t being
kind to it by planting it in such a vulnerable position.
Thinking about conditions – right plant, right
place – will mean a lot less heartache in the future.
And if you are lucky enough to have the room,
plant native trees or hedges as a shelter belt.
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