Green & Spring

 Late summer conjures images of lazy days lounging on the lawn, watching cricket or picnicking under the shade of a tree. Of course, being Britain, it may not be quite like that but if you haven’t found time to relax in the great outdoors yet this summer, do it soon. By the end of August, sunrise has fallen back to 6 o’clock and sunset is at 8 so the long summer evenings are noticeably drawing in as September arrives. August is a good time to watch for shooting stars. Lie on your back outdoors on a clear night and don’t forget to wish if you spot one. September 21^st is the autumn equinox when the length of day and night are equal. This is the night of the great full moon called the Harvest Moon.

 

August and September are the months for harvesting. Huge combines can be seen moving slowly up and down the fields of wheat and barley while tractors pulling trailers of corn and straw trundle along the roads. It is also wasp season. Much reviled, these insects are actually important in natural biocontrol, they form an important part of the food chain and also act as pollinators. They are unlikely to hurt you unless you squash or stand on them so watch out for them on the ground near fruit trees and otherwise try to ignore them.

In August and September the birds begin to gather together to fly off for their winter migration. You may notice large flocks of swallows collecting on telegraph wires and rooftops.

 

These most gorgeous insects are a joy, why not get a butterfly identification book and take a wander to see how many different varieties you can find? The big blousy beauties include the peacock butterfly which flies from March to September and has huge pretend eyes on the tips of its wings to trick predators. Painted ladies are also found in August and September, these are quite large with black and white wing tips and marbled orange and black over the rest of their wings. Other colourful gems include the tortoiseshells, blues, coppers and greenish yellow brimstones.

 

Rather than foraging for food you could have a go at collecting wild flowers. In Victorian times, flower pressing was a popular pastime and apparently even Queen Victoria enjoyed it.

Pick flowers and leaves without damaging the roots of the plant, press them between sheets of white paper and put these between the pages of a large book. Place a pile of heavy books on top and leave them for a month or so. You can use them for decorating things like lampshades and frames and for making your own cards.

Meadow flowers that are in bloom in August and September include lady’s bedstraw, rough hawkbit, birdsfoot-trefoil, knapweed, meadow crane’s-bill, field scabious, yarrow and red clover.

 

Have a hunt around your garden too and don’t overlook plants with beautifully marked and shaped leaves like ferns and ivy. Pressed leaves alone can make a gorgeous design, in fact many fabric and wallpaper designers have been inspired by leaves recently.

 

While you are out collecting, you could pick wild rose flowers for culinary adventures. Add their petals to ice cubes. These look great in a summer punch. I have also found a recipe for wild rose petal sandwiches, if you are feeling adventurous you could give it a go. Use thinly sliced wholemeal bread spread with cream cheese. Sprinkle one slice with sugar and one slice with cinnamon, then cover each slice with pink rose petals and put the slices together. Enjoy!

 

After the riot of early summer flowers, the late summer garden can look a little brown and dull. Review your planting schemes and, if they are lacking in colour, tuck in clumps of late summer and early autumn perennials amongst plants that have stopped flowering. This is called succession planting and is used by many a famous garden designer.  Easy options include tall and airy Verbena bonariensis, orangey Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’, pink  Echinacea purpurea, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and Japanese anemones like pure white Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ or pale pink ‘Queen Charlotte’.

For the horticulturally challenged, Agapanthus is one of the best options for a summer to early autumn-flowering container. From South Africa, these splendid plants can be pretty much neglected although they will perform better if they are watered occasionally. They like being congested so never really need repotting, their only weakness is that they are not always very hardy and may succumb in a cold wet winter. However, mine survived outside in a pot despite all last winter’s snow and ice.

Usually bright blue but they can also be found in white, pale blue and alluring navy tints. Now is a good time to buy them as they are in flower and you can choose your favourites.