Advice
Gardener's Calendar - August
Fruit & vegetable garden
Flower garden
Glasshouse, conservatory and houseplants
Trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and hedges
Lawns and meadows
Ponds
Wildlife gardening
Garden structures
Gardening for children
Top 10 jobs
1. Prune Wisteria
2. Don’t delay summer pruning restricted fruits
3. Deadhead flowering plants regularly
4. Watering! Particularly containers, and new plants -
preferably with grey recycled water or stored rainwater
5. Collect seed from favourite plants
6. Harvest sweetcorn and other vegetables as they become ready
7. Continue cutting out old fruited canes on raspberries
8. Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners
9. Keep ponds and water features topped up
10. Feed the soil with green manures
August's weather
Glossary of terms
Biological control
Brutting
Damping down
Kernel
Fruit and vegetable garden
Fruit
Continue to pick summer fruit. Freeze surplus and make jams and jellies.
Start picking apples and blackberries for use in pies and desserts.
Support heavily laden branches on plums to prevent breakage.
Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners.
Prepare new strawberry beds for next year if not yet done.
Cut out fruited canes of summer raspberries and tie in new canes to fruit next year. Select strong, healthy canes and cut out weak, forked or misplaced ones (such as those growing out into the paths).
Tie in new growth on blackberries and hybrid berries.
Complete summer pruning of restricted fruit trees such as cordon and espalier apples and pears.
Prune out dead and fruited wood after cropping of fan-trained plums and cherries, and tie in replacement shoots.
Break in half the strongest young shoots on cobnuts and filberts this month to encourage a heavier crop of nuts. This technique is known as 'brutting'.
Pest & disease watch
Remove apples, pears and plums affected with brown rot to prevent the disease from spreading.
Gather scabby leaves from diseased apples and pears. Do not compost but instead consign to the dustbin.
Spray apples with hydrated calcium nitrate if apple bitter pit has been a problem.
If bacterial canker has a been a problem on stone fruit trees, then prune out affected smaller branches, wait until harvest is complete, and spray with fungicide.
Continue to treat American gooseberry mildew and fungal leaf spotting on currants after harvesting.
Treat strawberries with fungicide if powdery mildew is serious.
Vegetables
In the south of England you can still sow quick maturing salad crops such as summer lettuce, radish, rocket, sorrel, chicory and fennel.
Continue to sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables and overwintering onions, in the south of England.
Finish harvesting second early potatoes, especially if it turns wet, as slugs will become active.
Harvest sweetcorn as it ripens. Push a fingernail into the kernel when the tassels at the end of the cob start to shrivel and brown. If the liquid is milky it indicates they are ready.
Lift onions, shallots and garlic when ready. Plants should be harvested when the necks start to turn brown and papery, and bend over naturally. Avoid actively bending the necks, as this can result in disease. Once harvested, let the tops dry until they rustle like brown paper, and then remove them.
Regularly pick fast-maturing vegetables such as French beans, runner beans, courgettes, cucumbers and tomatoes, to prevent stringiness or toughness, and to encourage further cropping. Excess pickings can be frozen.
Continue earthing up celery, putting a layer of paper between the stems and the soil.
Marrows should be raised off the ground slightly, to prevent them rotting from contact with the soil. Some older leaves can be removed, if necessary, to maximise sun upon the fruit.
Take care when thinning out any late-sown carrot seedlings to prevent the scent released attracting carrot fly females. To protect them from carrot fly use fleece or enviromesh coverings.
Irregular watering can lead to problems with blossom end rot in tomatoes, splitting of root vegetables and flower abortion in peas and beans. Help prevent this by watering well during dry spells. We do not advise using grey household water on edible crops, but stored rainwater from a water butt is ideal.
Weeds can also compete with vegetables for water, and act as hosts for pests and diseases, so should be removed regularly by hoeing.
Sow green manures such as crimson clover and Italian ryegrass to act as a soil improver and to cover bare areas. When dug in, they conserve nutrients and improve soil texture.
Alternatively, after clearing old crops, place black plastic over bare areas of ground to suppress weed growth.
Pest & disease watch
Keep up with potato blight control on outdoor tomatoes and potatoes to prevent further infection of the crop. Cut off the haulms (tops) of blighted potatoes and burn them, or put them in the dustbin. The tubers can still be harvested.
Potato powdery scab is also prevalent at this time of year.
Watch tomatoes for blossom end rot, ghost spot, blotchy ripening and greenback. Problems with ripening can be caused by heat damage, lack of feeding or water, or by a genetic tendency in some varieties. Tomato viruses are another problem.
Look out for the caterpillars and excrement of the pea moth, and for fungal spots on bean and pea pods and leaves.
Remove any sweetcorn cobs affected by smut, with swollen, grey or brown kernels that burst to release powdery fungal spores.
Carrot fly is still about.
Check stored onions for softness and the grey or black mould of neck rot.
Onion eelworm can cause swelling and distortion of onion plants, and rotting of stored bulbs. Crop rotation is the best preventative.
Herbs
Take cuttings of rosemary, bay and hyssop.
Cut back flowered herbs such as marjoram to encourage a second flush.
Parsley can be sown in southern parts of the UK, to crop during the winter. In summer, it is best sown outside. To avoid carrot fly trouble, seedlings can be covered or potted up and put in a greenhouse, when it comes to thinning out.
Other herbs can be potted up and taken into the house for convenient use over the autumn and winter.
Flower garden
Don't neglect hanging baskets - deadheading, watering and feeding will help them last through until autumn.
Deadhead plants such as Dahlia, rose and Penstemon and bedding to prolong the display colour well into early autumn.
Cutting back the foliage and stems of herbaceous plants that have already died back (e.g. Dicentra) is starting to be a priority.
Don't cut off the flowerheads of ornamental grasses. These will provide winter interest.
Hardy geraniums can be cut back a little to remove tired leaves and encourage a new flush of growth.
Prune climbing and rambling roses that do not repeat flower or produce attractive hips, once the flowers have finished.
Pinks and carnations can be propagated by layering.
Propagate irises by dividing the rhizomes if not done last month.
Propagate perennials by dividing once they have finished flowering, but only in areas with some rain and duller weather, to avoid drying out problems.
Take cuttings of tender perennials such as Pelargonium and Osteospermum, as soon as possible. A greenhouse, cool conservatory or a light windowsill are ideal to bring them on until they are established.
Rock garden plants, such as Helianthemum, Aubrieta and Dianthus can be propagated from cuttings at this time of year.
Collect and store seed of hardy annuals and perennials for sowing later in the autumn. Good plants to try include Calendula, Nigella, Cerinthe, Papaver, Aquilegia and hardy Geranium. Allow some plants to self-seed to give an element of surprise to the garden.
Towards the end of August sow hardy annuals directly into borders. They will overwinter and flower next summer.
Buy or order spring-flowering bulbs. Some bulbs can be planted now, such as Colchicum, daffodils and Madonna lilies (L. candidum).
Feed containers, and even tired border perennials, with a liquid tomato food each week to encourage them to bloom into the early autumn.
Keep picking flowers from the cutting garden to encourage more flower buds to form and open.
Alpines that have developed bare patches of die-back, or have become weedy, can be tidied up by in-filling the patches with gritty compost. This will encourage new growth as well as improving their appearance.
Most perennial weeds are best dealt with when in active growth. Applying a weedkiller containing glyphosate during summer will ensure that the roots, as well as the top growth, are killed. However, glyphosate is non-selective and plants you want to keep should be protected by plastic sheeting until the spray has dried.
Pest & disease watch
Inspect chrysanthemums for the first signs of white rust and take immediate action.
Remove and destroy any Nicotiana showing signs of downy mildew. This shows up as yellowish blotches on the upper surface of the leaves.
Powdery mildew can be prevalent at this time of the year. Treat with an approved chemical at the manufacturer's rates.
Earwigs can make Dahlia blooms ragged. Set traps to reduce damage.
Don't be worried by bright green, heavily-armoured looking insects on your plants - these are harmless shieldbugs which do not require control.
Distortion on Phlox could indicate the presence of phlox eelworm.
Discoloured leaves on herbaceous plants such as Chrysanthemum, Anemone and Penstemon may be leaf and bud eelworm.
Glasshouse, conservatory and houseplants
Ventilate conservatories to their maximum to prevent soaring temperatures. Use shading if necessary.
Damp down greenhouses on hot days to maintain humidity levels.
Water houseplants freely when they are in growth.
Feed plants when necessary, usually once every one to two weeks with a liquid feed.
Cyclamen that have been resting over the summer can be started back into growth for winter blooms. Watering and careful replacement of the top layer of compost should be sufficient to ‘wake’ them.
Hyacinths, ‘Paperwhite’ daffodils, freesias, and Lachenalia corms can be planted in bowls now to achieve flowers for Christmas. Once they have put on 2.5cm (1in) growth, they can be taken into a cool room, only to be brought into a warm room in time to flower for the festive period. Bulbs sold as ‘prepared’ can be forced by plunging the planted bowls in a cold, dark place for a few months, then bringing them straight inside to flower.
Pest & disease watch
Many conservatory and greenhouse pests will be active during the summer months. Check plants regularly for signs of glasshouse whitefly, leafhopper, red spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects.
Clean up fallen leaves and spilt compost from benches and floors to prevent pests and diseases spreading.
Trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and hedges
Prune Wisteria and shrubs such as Pyracantha after flowering.
Hebes and lavenders can be given a light prune after flowering.
Rambling roses can be pruned now, once they have finished flowering.
Give hedges a final trim over now. They will only grow a little before cold weather stops growth.
Continue to deadhead shrubs, such as roses, to extend flowering into early autumn. Spindly specimens that have lost leaves can be cut back a little further when deadheading, to encourage new growth.
Thoroughly soak drought-stressed plants and shrubs, especially newly planted ones. Use grey, recycled or stored rain water wherever possible.
Keep early-flowering shrubs such as Camellia and Rhododendron well watered during dry periods to ensure good flower bud initiation.
Get in qualified tree surgeons to remove large shrubs and trees that were casualties of winter waterlogging and summer drought. Remove stumps wherever possible, as rots could spread to other plants.
Semi-ripe cuttings can still be taken to propagate many common garden shrubs (e.g. box, Ceanothus, lavender).
Rhododendrons, azaleas and Clematis can be propagated by layering.
Pest & disease watch
Brown patches, needle loss and sooty mould on spruce (Picea) trees are evidence of green spruce aphid damage earlier in the year.
Mid- to late August is a good time of the year to apply biological controls for vine weevil. Grubs will be starting to hatch and soil temperatures are now suitable for the nematodes to be effective. Target vulnerable plants such as Rhododendron, Camellia and containerised plants including fuchsias.
Black spot on roses is very common at this time of year, and spraying will no longer be effective. Clear fallen leaves and burn them to prevent spread.
Powdery mildew can be a problem in dry summers.
Lawns and meadows
Raise the blades on the mower before cutting fine lawns. This will help reduce drought stress.
Mow lightly and frequently so that short grass clippings can remain on the lawn during hot summers to act as a moisture-retentive mulch. Excess thatch can be scarified out during autumn maintenance next month. Mulching mowers cut the clippings even finer than normal rotary blades, making the mulch less visible.
Lawns on thin soils may benefit from a high phosphate feed. This will strengthen the roots for winter, rather than encouraging lush top growth that could suffer in the cold and weaken the grass.
Avoid using lawn weedkillers in late summer - they will be more effective in the cooler, damper autumn weather.
Dig over any areas due to be grassed over later in the year. Leave them for a few weeks to allow weeds to re-emerge, and then spray with a weedkiller or hoe off to ensure thorough weed clearance before seeding or laying turf in the autumn.
Summer meadows may need mowing now if they have past their season of interest, especially in areas of the country where autumn comes earlier. In warmer parts of the UK, spring and early summer meadows that have extended their period of interest well into the summer could be cut now if not done already.
Troubleshooting
Browning of the lawn is very common at this time of year. Don’t water the grass unless absolutely necessary. It will green up when the autumn rains arrive.
Browning can be partially prevented next year by ensuring that the lawn is well scarified, aerated and drained later in the autumn, and that any soil compaction underneath is remedied before the following growing season.
On amenity and garden lawns, discrete brown patches are usually the product of dog waste, bitch urine, spilt petrol or oil, or weedkiller and fertiliser overdosing.
On finer turf, especially if it is underfed and frequently mown, patches can be the result of disease such as red thread (on sandy soils) and dollar spot (in damp weather). Feeding usually helps eliminate these problems.
Ponds
Continue to remove blanket weed and duckweed using a net or rake. Pile the weed by the side of the pond for 24 hours to allow pond life to crawl back into the water and then put on the compost heap.
Keep an eye on aquatic and marginal plants, removing faded flowers and yellow leaves, and cutting back where necessary.
Top up water where necessary in ponds and water features.
Aerate the water in hot sticky weather by leaving fountains on overnight.
Shallow water features or those with water washing over cobbles can become green very quickly in summer weather. Algicides may need applying more frequently than in normal ponds.
Clearing out fallen leaves and debris regularly will help to keep down algal growth, as there will be fewer nutrients available from rotting organic matter. Barley straw pads or extract may also be beneficial.
Wildlife gardening
Jobs for the month
- Top up bird feeders and put out food on the ground and bird tables
- Avoid chunky foods that could choke young fledglings
- Keep the bird bath topped up
- Regularly clean the bird bath and table
- Plant marigolds around the vegetable patch to attract hoverflies
- Make piles of logs, twigs and/or rocks to create shelter for wildlife
- Go on an evening wildlife walk looking for bats, voles, fox and badger cubs
- Put out hedgehog and badger food
- Construct a hedgehog hibernation box
- Watch out for adult frogs and toads leaving the pond
- Plant annuals and perennials to attract insects
- Trim hedges less frequently so that wildlife can feed and shelter there
- Leave nesting birds undisturbed in garden shrubs and hedges
- Leave roses that produce hips without dead-heading
- Allow seedheads to develop on some plants as a source of food
- Summer meadows may be ready for cutting
- Recently established perennial meadows need mowing to control weeds
- Annual meadows do not need mowing
Birds
Don’t let bird flu fears stop you from enjoying birds in your garden. You can watch the behaviour of birds without coming into any physical contact with them. Wear gloves, apron or overall and a paper face-mask when re-filling the bird feeder, scrubbing out the bird bath, or attending to domestic birds, and the risk of infection will be so low as to be almost negligible. Obviously, if you live in a high-risk area where the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found, or in a restricted zone as designated by DEFRA, then you should take extra precautions as advised (please see www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/).
Migrant summer-visiting birds from other continents are among those now common in British gardens. You may see willow or garden warblers and housemartins. Swifts and swallows are particularly common around ponds and water features where they can feast on midges and enjoy cooler temperatures.
Many adult birds tend to lie fairly low in late summer, hiding in cool, shady places while changing their feathers in the summer moult. Birdsong may be reduced this month. But new young birds can be seen out and about exploring their environment.
A birdbath can be a vital source of drinking water for birds. Ensure that yours is kept topped up. Models are available to attach to windows, walls and sills, if you are limited for space. Do be aware of hygiene: change the water regularly and scrub the bath out with a mild detergent (available from bird food suppliers) to help prevent the spread of disease.
In hot, dry weather, many birds delight in ‘dust-bathing’ as well as splashing in the birdbath. It seems that the dust and the many insects that the birds encourage to crawl over them help to control irritating itchy mites living within their feathers.
Avoid peanuts and large chunks when putting out birdfood, as there is a risk that large pieces could be fed by adults to their fledglings, and they could choke. Safe foods include wildbird seed mixes (but not those containing peanuts or dog biscuit); black sunflower seeds (the birds will remove the outside casing, and the inner seed is soft); mild grated cheese; sultanas, raisins and currants (best soaked overnight); pinhead oatmeal; apples, pears and other soft fresh fruit; mealworms and waxworms. Alternatively, you can buy fat balls from many garden centres and bird food suppliers. This is an easy alternative, and you will be confident that you are doing no harm.
To maximise the numbers of different bird species that you attract to your garden, it is a good idea to cater to their different feeding habits. Hanging bird feeders attract species such as tits, finches and sparrows. There are many models available, designed to help keep out rats, cats, pigeons and squirrels, or to fit onto walls, windows, windowsills and balconies. Bird tables attract robins, house and tree sparrows, doves, pigeons, bullfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches and bramblings. Food scattered on the ground attracts blackbirds, thrushes, dunnocks and wrens.
Hanging bird feeders are best sited over a paved or decked area, which can be regularly swept clear of debris. This may reduce problems with squirrels and vermin, if they prove a nuisance.
Bird tables are best sited a few feet clear of cover or high vegetation, so that cats and other predators cannot launch themselves onto unsuspecting feeding birds. Tables can be quite close to windows or patios, as many birds get used to human activity, and are not put off by us.
Insects
Bug life should be encouraged. Without insects and other invertebrates, there would be no birds and mammals, and many flowers would fail to pollinate, set seed or produce fruit. Bugs help to keep each other in check. It is often when one pest in the food chain is killed with chemicals that others are suddenly free to multiply unchecked, so creating further problems for the gardener.
Damselflies and dragonflies are out in abundance. They are usually spotted near ponds and lakes. Damselflies have a lazier, zig-zagging pattern of flight, whereas dragonflies take a faster and more direct flight path. This is their breeding season, and you may see them mating in mid-air, or laying their eggs around the pond.
Pond skaters and water boatmen can be seen skating on the pond surface in search of food.
Hoverflies and ladybirds are in abundance this month. They are both good garden pest catchers, so are to be encouraged. Hoverflies do not sting even though they look similar to wasps - this is just the scary camouflage they use to deter predators. Gardeners have traditionally planted marigolds around the vegetable patch to attract hoverflies as pest control.
Wasps, despite their reputation as fruit blemishing, stinging pests, are good controllers of many garden pests, including flies and grubs. They are also useful pollinators of flowers.
This is flying ant season, when hundreds of winged ants emerge from their nests and fly up in the air to mate. It all happens in about a quarter of an hour. After mating, the females bite off their own wings and crawl off to start another nest. You may see crowds of winged males swarming aimlessly round the garden - a feast for birds and other predators - once mating is over.
Gardens with nooks and crannies, and a few areas where debris is allowed to accumulate (perhaps a woodland area or a meadow within a more formal design), are often more insect friendly than gardens composed entirely of paving, pots, lawn and bedding.
Bee homes are now widely available. Initial reports suggest that nesting boxes for colony-forming bees (such as bumble and honey bees) are not always effective, but homes for solitary bees (such as mason bees), made from tubes and tunnels in boxes, are more successful. They are also attractive. Models with a backing are more successful than those open at both ends. This kind of bee house is easy to make at home. Even a tin can filled with straws will do the job. South-facing positions, hanging at chest height or above, are best. Bees usually colonise these homes in spring, hibernating over winter to emerge the following spring. The boxes can be left out over winter, or taken down and stored in a safe place to avoid bees being eaten by predators.
Put out log and twig piles made from old prunings and felled tree branches. These provide valuable shelter for wildlife, and can be made into attractive features by planting up with ferns, primroses, or other suitable plants. A site well away from the house should ensure unwanted creepy crawlies do not stray into domestic areas.
Piles of slabs or rockery stones act as a suitable wildlife habitat, as do old bales of straw or hay.
Mammals, reptiles and amphibians
Many young mammals born earlier in the season are now out of the nest and visible in the garden. You may spot baby woodmice, shrews, voles, and fox or badger cubs. The evening is the best time to spot many species.
This is peak bat-watching season. British bat species are garden friendly, eating midges and tiny insects that cause annoyance on summer evenings.
Young litters of hedgehogs and badgers are now learning their survival skills. You may see or hear them foraging for food at night. Hedgehog and badger food is available for sale. It is not a good idea to feed hedgehogs with bread and milk, as this is unhealthy for them. Good quality cat and dog food, or raw minced meat mixed with egg, are suitable alternatives.
You could think ahead and construct a hedgehog hibernation box for later in the season. Although hedgehogs are often happy to choose a pile of old leaves and twigs, some wildlife enthusiasts have reported success with a constructed wooden box buried under old leaves. A small entrance hole (10-12sq cm or 4-5sq in), and a covered tunnel leading to the entrance, will help to prevent foxes and other predators from raiding the nest. A tunnel can easily be constructed using old bricks with a wooden plank as a cover. You can then watch the hedgehogs come and go from a known location.
Young frogs and newts start to leave the ponds where they where they were born to move further afield, sometimes up to a couple of miles away. Once old enough to start breeding, they will always return to the pond where they were born to mate.
Adult frogs, toads and newts, are also leaving the pond, usually at times when the ground is damp. Later in the season, they will find places to hibernate for the winter.
Corrugated iron or plastic laid on the soil can provide warm tunnels for small reptiles, amphibians and mammals to hide in.
Plants for wildlife
As a general rule, single flowers attract more insects than double blooms. Bear in mind that insects are attracted to particular plants for their nectar (Sedum spectabile), their pollen (Lavatera), the shelter they provide (ornamental grasses and many other species) or their suitability for breeding (many native species and weeds, even the common nettle). A variety of insect-friendly planting from all these groups is likely to attract more insects than a mass planting of flowers providing only nectar or pollen.
Hedges, including non-natives and conifers, are a good resource for wildlife, providing shelter, nesting sites and food. Deciduous trees, particularly natives like oak or coppiced hazel, are excellent choices. Some insects that happily feed from a variety of plants are more selective about their breeding territory, and show a preference for native plants. Deciduous trees additionally support much more plant life underneath them, with bulbs, annuals and perennials thriving in the dappled shade. This is not the case underneath dense conifers.
Be less frequent with your hedge trimming to provide greater shelter and food for wildlife.
Don’t deadhead roses that produce hips. The colourful hips are decorative and a useful source of food for wildlife.
Wait for the seed heads of wild flowers and insect-attracting blooms to ripen (usually when they start to shed seed naturally), then pluck off the heads and shake them over a chosen area of bare soil where you would like to have wild flowers next year. Many flowers - poppies for example - take easily from this kind of casual sowing.
Meadows
Summer- and spring/summer-flowering meadows may be ready for cutting and mowing this month, after any bulb foliage has died down naturally. Scything and removal of clippings is all that is necessary, but closer mowing allows the area to be used as lawn for the rest of the summer. Meadow cuttings were traditionally used for making hay, but they can also be used on the compost heap - just remove any pernicious or flowering weeds, so that they don’t spread in the compost.
Recently sown perennial meadows should be mown about six to eight weeks after sowing, when they reach a height of 5-10cm (2-4in), and then again every couple of months in their first year, removing the cuttings each time. This helps to control weeds and to toughen up the meadow plants. A stronger healthier meadow will be the end result.
Recently sown annual wildflower meadows do not need mowing. Just leave them to finish flowering, set seed and die down naturally. Be aware that they will only last one year, and will die back completely in the autumn. If you are lucky, some of the plants will have re-seeded themselves and may come back next spring. However, you will probably need to supplement this with new sowings.
Garden structures
Take advantage of the dry weather by painting fences, sheds and other wooden features with a preservative. Check that any products used are within their use-by date, and still legal. Many of the old oil-based products such as creosote are no longer approved for domestic use.
Clean up patios and hard surfaces to get rid of moss and algae. Doing this job now will prevent them becoming slippery during the winter.
Replace broken glass panes in greenhouses and fix leaking shed roofs before the autumn rains. Greenhouse guttering can also be checked to ensure it is not blocked with debris.
Gardening for children
As well as being able to take part in many of the above activities, here are some extras especially for them.
Pre-school and primary school age children
- Mixing up compost: Some little children love to get their hands dirty, and will enjoy mixing up buckets of multi-purpose compost with perlite or grit. Mess need not be frowned upon in this context, and there is little risk of ‘doing it wrong’.
- Weeding: While this may be a dreaded chore for adult gardeners, many young children enjoy this task when it is presented as a fun shared activity, rather than as a household chore. You may find that you enjoy it more too as a result. Responsible children of primary school age can be trusted with a patio weed tool (with supervision), others will gladly pull large weeds, dig them out with a trowel, or practice their hoeing skills (when tall enough to manage a hoe). Chatting, patience, and one-to-one time make the task fun rather than hard work.
Secondary school age children and teenagers
- Design a new area of the garden together: Encourage the teen to draw their own designs on paper, and introduce them to novel ways for generating ideas. Simple areas of the garden can be measured out and mapped onto a scale drawing. Cut out shapes can be arranged on the paper plan, playing with different shapes, arrangements and designs. Discussion of what makes for good design or an attractive border can be stimulating, and the teenager is drawn into learning about plant choices as he or she researches suggested plants for the layout. It is always interesting to compare the paper plan with the final, growing result. You will both learn an awful lot about design, plants and even construction, in the process.
- Measure pH: Ask the teenager to measure the pH of the garden soil with a kit bought from a garden centre. An easy task, it gives quick and colourful results, and can bring school chemistry lessons to life. You could extend this into an exploration of soil texture, feeling the soil to assess its clay, sand and silt content. Other ‘chemistry experiments’ include putting some soil into a jar of clear vinegar to see if it fizzes - a sure sign of a chalky soil.