The Fleur Kitchen Garden In August

A late-summer ramble through the beds and borders

August tiptoes in with golden light and heavy-laden vines, whispering of the season’s slow turning. The garden hums with bees and the soft rustle of leaves, while the kitchen gathers bowls of berries and armfuls of herbs. It's a month for gratitude and gentle tending, for preserving the abundance and preparing the soil for seasons yet to come.

What to Plant in August

Though the height of summer may seem a time of rest, the soil still welcomes seeds with warm arms. Now is the moment for sowing late crops that will brighten the cooler months ahead.

Sow outdoors:

• Spinach – quick to sprout and eager to grow before the first frosts.

• Oriental greens (like pak choi, mizuna, and mustard greens) – add zest to late-season salads.

• Spring onions – for an early spring harvest.

• Turnips – quick-growing and delicious in hearty winter soups.

• Radishes – a final crisp crunch before the year turns mellow.

Sow under cover or in modules:

• Winter lettuces – like ‘Arctic King’ or ‘Winter Density’, tender but brave.

• Chard & perpetual spinach – leaf after leaf, a gift through the chill.

• Coriander & parsley – for pots near the kitchen door, fragrant and handy.

What to Harvest in August

August’s baskets are heavy and sweet, with the promise of pies, preserves, and pickles.

From the vegetable beds:

• Courgettes (still generous, often oversized!)

• Tomatoes – plump, sun-warmed, and bursting

• French and runner beans

• Beetroot, carrots, and baby potatoes

• Cucumbers and sweetcorn (if you’ve grown them)

• Chillies and peppers ripening like little lanterns

From the fruit patch:

• Blackberries – hedgerow jewels

• Apples (early varieties may be ready)

• Raspberries, plums, and greengages

• Blueberries and gooseberries, if the birds have been kind

• Rhubarb – for a final tart crumble before it rests

Herbs for drying:

• Thyme, oregano, and rosemary – snip now for winter

• Lavender and chamomile – tie in bundles and hang to dry in a quiet nook

Gardening Jobs for August

August is both bountiful and busy. Take your time, sip something cool, and tend the garden like a dear old friend.

• Water wisely: Early morning or late evening, to avoid scorched leaves. Deep, thoughtful watering is best.

• Feed hungry plants: Tomatoes, courgettes, and chillies still need a little extra.

• Deadhead flowers to keep blooms coming – dahlias, cosmos, and marigolds especially.

• Sow green manure in empty beds – phacelia, clover, or mustard – to protect and enrich the soil.

• Start tidying spent crops, composting what you can, and making notes of what did well.

• Net brassicas – pesky butterflies are still about!

• Lift and divide irises and other spring-flowering perennials.

• Preserve the harvest – pickles, jams, chutneys, cordials… the pantry calls!

A Moment of Garden Magic

"The hum of bees is the voice of the garden." – Elizabeth Lawrence

Pause beneath the sunflowers, warm and tall, and listen to the quiet thrum of August. This is a time to celebrate all your garden has given, to thank the soil, and begin to dream of crisp days to come.