August -Your garden ......
Plant 
  • ​Late August is a good time for planting Oriental poppies
  • Trim back perennials
Pruning and Cleaning Up
  • ​Prune maples and birches
Fertilize and Mulch
  • Pine needles, rotted sawdust, straw, and leaves  make great mulch
  • Mulching flowerbeds improves soil texture and preserves moisture
Chores
  • Continue to deadhead faded blooms and trim browned foliage
  • Peonies can be moved this month but need to be watered well
  • Remove faded flowers from lilies leaving as much stem as possible
  • Pull weeds before they set seed 
  • If you haven't already done this, order bulbs, trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, fruit trees and berries for Fall planting
  • Protect container plants from high heat - move them to a cool spot or shade them during the hottest part of the day
  • Water, especially new plantings and plants setting next year's buds (e.g., azaleas, camellias, rhodendrons, heather), if rainfall is less than one inch per week
Picture
Tip for Every month: ​
  • Watering - water early if you must water to maximize plant uptake and minimize water loss to evaporation; avoid deep cultivation in flower beds during hot, dry weather to decrease the loss of soil water and damage to surface roots.
  • Keep your tools clean - Clean your tools after every use to prevent spreading disease from plant to plant 
  • Wear gloves - Use gloves for all of your gardening chores; gloves will keep your skin out of direct contact with toxic plant substances and critters too
  • Wear long sleeves to protect arms from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac and to minimize tick bites 
  • Beware of Giant Hogweed - Giant Hogweed is in our area; it is a member of the wild carrot family native to Asia and can reach heights of 6-10 feet. It looks like a giant Queen Anne's Lace as it grows. It is highly toxic! Do NOT touch, pull, brush against, or weed-whack this plant. Do NOT handle this plant. Do NOT try to remove this plant yourself.  Direct contact with this plant sensitizes the skin to the sun and leaves 3rd degree burns. If you see or suspect Giant Hogweed take digital photos of the leaf, stem, and flower and contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension Office.   (photo Robert Videki, Doronicum Kft.)​
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Thanks to Suzanne Aiello who compiled these tips for the Dolley Madison Garden Club.