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The Garden in August

Attracting butterflies and bees to the garden. August could be considered 'high summer', and it's a time when insects such as bees and butterflies are at their busiest. If you want to attract insects to your garden, it's plants that will do this. One of the easiest and best for this is Bee-balm, (Monarda 'Cambridge Scarlet') which has done brilliantly in our garden this year, having formed dense clumps after only one year in the ground. Other easy and reliable plants for attracting insects include Catmint (Nepeta 'Six Hill's Giant), Stonecrop (Sedum 'Autumn Joy'), Knautia macedonica, Verbena bonariensis and the hebs Fennel and Oregano. The plants can be left much to themselves for the next few weeks and really bring a garden to life in summer. For anyone with a little more space, consider a Butterfly bush (Buddleia) whose long sprays of blue or lilac flowers are so attractive to butterflies.

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A flower bed running along the back of a local school -  planted by us to attract insects.

If you can attract butteflies to the garden, you should try to provide a habitat for them to hibernate in - where better than in this attractive wooden butterfly hibernation house?

Get harvesting! For anyone who planted fruit tres or bushes in their garden, this is the time to start harvesting. Blueberries are one of the easiest and most satisfying of plants, and the large berries are succulent, delicious and healthy. The G.I.Y. movement (Grow It Yourself) has given great encouragement to hobby vegetable growers, but for those without the time, fruit is the way to go. Once you have put a fruit tree or bush in the ground that's all there is to it. A couple of apple trees will produce a sizeable amount of fresh and delicious fruit. We have found that one of the most reliable apples is 'James Grieve' - the plant is laden with fruit this year and is also available as an espalliered plant - ie one that can be trained flat against a wall. And for anyone who loves blueberries, and wants to see them growing on a big scale, it's well worth a visit to Derryvilla Blueberry Farm near Portarlington in Co Offaly - a fabulous day out in picturesque surroundings where you can pick your own (and eat plenty along the way too). Phone 057 8642882 or 087 2466643.