In this encore presentation of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing show you how to keep your garden and landscape thriving during the August heat with tips and tricks and do's and don'ts for your August garden.

Tune in to hear Joanne and Matt discuss what you should (and shouldn't) be doing in the garden in August.

Here are some of the questions and topics covered in this episode:

• Plan what fall bulbs you'd like to plant for your spring garden. Order now and buy early for the best varieties.
• Source garlic bulbs from a local farmer or reputable seed company to have them ready for fall planting.
• To encourage flavourful new growth, continue to trim herbs like mint, chives, dill, etc.
• Cover ripening fruit to protect from birds and critters.
• Sow seeds of beans, beets, spinach, and turnips for a fall harvest.
• Check fruits, vegetables, annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs for pests and diseases and remove as necessary.
• Use Japanese beetle traps to control populations. Remember, one is enough for urban landscapes.
• Apply nematodes in mid-August, or sooner, to control white grub populations in the lawn.
• Continue to deadhead annuals and perennials to promote new blooms.
• Continue fertilizing containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets with a water-soluble fertilizer once every two weeks until Thanksgiving or you dispose of them for the season.
• Apply a new layer of rich compost to garden beds.
• Continue to weed your lawns and hardscapes.
• Remove small errant shoots from topiaries, shrubs, and hedges.

Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.

You can also email your questions and comments to [email protected], or connect with Joanne and Matthew via their websites:  

Joanne Shaw: down2earth.ca 

Matthew Dressing: naturalaffinity.ca

Resources mentioned during the show

Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden

Down the Garden Path Podcast

On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible. 

In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.

Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.