If you’re lucky, you may begin to feel the first few touches of spring in August, especially as the month progresses. August can be a busy month in the garden, preparing for the flush of life that the longer and warmer days will ultimately bring. Prepare unused beds for planting by clearing winter weeds or cover crops and applying a good layer of mulch. Get a jump on your spring and summer crops by getting seedlings started under cover in a greenhouse or simple cold frame.
Be wary of cold snaps country wide and late season rainfalls if you live in winter rainfall regions. You can amend your soils with bone meal and compost, especially beds that you plan to plant out in a couple of months.
September brings even longer and warmer days and your garden should really shake off its winter coat by this point. Work with the rhythm of nature and plant out seedlings that are well enough established to join in the growth spurt of the first few warm days of the season. Make sure to keep some seedling protected for late season cold spells. Mid to late September is a great time to start a salad plot, but watch out for hungry slugs, snails and other insects that are growing along with your plants. Spring, while the sap is rising, is a perfect time for taking cuttings, so propagate some of your favourite herbs and trees this way.
