August is the time to trim back these 7 perennials to encourage a burst of autumn blooms:
August is the perfect time to keep your garden vibrant and blooming, as many perennials can benefit from a little pruning to encourage a second flush of flowers for the autumn season.
One such perennial is Phlox Paniculata Blue, available at J. Parker's for £4.99. This plant, a mainstay of any cottage style garden scheme, pairs well with other summer-flowering perennials and benefits from deadheading by snipping off spent flower stems to encourage another round of blooms.
Hardy geraniums (cranesbill) can get a little straggly and overgrown by mid-summer, so cutting them back in August is a great way of encouraging a second flush of blooms. This practice redirects the plant's energy toward producing new shoots and flower buds. You can find a variety of hardy geraniums at Thompson & Morgan, including the Geranium 'Rozanne', priced at £7.99.
Coreopsis, with its vibrant summer color and bushy foliage, provides a bold display of daisy-like blooms. Coreopsis Verticillata Moonbeam is available on Primrose for £8.99, and Coreopsis grand 'Early Sunshine' can be found at B&Q for £17.99. Coreopsis will begin to fade and die off in mid-summer, making August a great time to cut back.
Salvias are a garden all-rounder, providing not only vibrant color but also fragrance. Perennial salvias can get leggy and out-of-shape in late summer, making them ideal for cutting back. Salvias benefit from regular deadheading to remove spent blooms, and August is the perfect time to give them a light pruning to shape the bush and encourage side shoots that will flower. 'Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' is available on Crocus for £23.99, and the Delphinium 'Pacific Giants Mixed' can be found on Thompson & Morgan for £9.99.
Lupins, another summer-flowering perennial, can also benefit from being cut back in August. Lupins should be cut just above the healthy buds when being cut back, ensuring a new round of blooms in the autumn. Crocus sells the bold all-red Lupinus 'Beefeater' for £12.99.
For those seeking a more dramatic touch, the Delphinium border collection is available at Sarah Raven for £29.95. This collection offers a variety of delphiniums to add height and colour to your garden.
Some plants, like lavender, benefit only from light trimming on the green shoots (not woody stems), while iris bulbs are better divided than cut back in August. Catmint can be sheared back quite hard to the lower leafy growth, which encourages fresh foliage and often a second flush of flowers in early autumn.
Lastly, lady’s mantle (Alchemilla) can tolerate a harder cutback—up to half or more of the plant—to stimulate new velvety leaves and bright chartreuse blooms in late summer and autumn.
By following these tips, you can ensure your garden stays vibrant with fresh blossoms through the end of the growing season, making August a wonderful time to enjoy your garden and its beautiful blooms.
- Hardy geraniums and coreopsis, two popular plants in home-and-garden settings, can be encouraged to bloom a second time in the autumn season by cutting them back in August.
- For a more dramatic touch in the garden, consider adding plants like the Delphinium border collection from Sarah Raven, which boasts a variety of delphiniums to add height and color to your home-and-garden lifestyle.
