A seasonal note: August
The crescendo of summer
— August
Getting up early for swims that feel like a warm hug. Sneaking a peek at the foxes weaving through the collapsing meadows. The softening tones of seed heads, turning ready to share themselves with the soil (and birds).
Tomatoes, a glut of tomatoes. Tomatoes on toast. Tomatoes in pasta. Tomatoes with a pinch of sea salt, maybe a slice of mozzarella if you’re inclined. So many ways to enjoy a tomato, ‘tis the season after all.
Taking note of the garden, the successful drought-tolerant species riding through the endless heat, taking it in their stride. But also noticing those struggling by, how to help them or perhaps a moment to remember their heyday and bid them farewell.
Celebrating each single drop of rain, we need a downpour but our skin recognises the cooling drops instantly and we’re grateful for even the spittiest of spits. Being aware of the impact, making adjustments in our own spaces and voicing the concern where we can.
I’m somewhere between grateful and surprised that it’s August already. Grateful that that we’re moving towards late summer (the fatigue with it all hits me hard this time of year) and surprised because somehow it feels like I was only just writing the January version of this. I guess on my 34th year around the planet, I’m starting to learn what people mean when they say life goes faster when you’re older.
This year has felt like going in waves, high and low tides will forever lap me. But August feels very high-tidey. I’m starting on an absolute high with the fact a bursary I applied for from The Merlin Trust (specifically to support those on the WRAGs scheme) has been approved and I’m off to Great Dixter in the Autumn to learn how to create seasonal interest in their long borders. Anyway, it’s been a good experience for me to vouch for myself and see a positive outcome.
The rest of August for me will be about taking stock, noting down learnings in the garden and starting to pull together plans for 2027. I love this time of year for that reason, nothing gets me quite excited like putting together moodboards and improving my own garden space.
Things to savour in August
— Pre-7am coffee outside:
Come the winter months waking up this early is a burden we go through, it’s cold, dark and actually, I daren’t describe it too much more - it’s making me yearn a little given the current state of heatwaves and drought. But nonetheless, early mornings are sacred in the garden, a space to gather your thoughts (and down caffeine) in peace.
Deeply watering the pots, deadheading here and there, but most importantly having a potter and a sit down to admire whilst letting yourself come around to the day. Dare I say, the grass has somehow even been a little dewy of late, an added bonus.
— Buzzing spaces
On the occasion my path cross with someone so very at odds with my life, ethos, general love of the natural world. Usually these paths cross on TikTok, of course. I received a comment recently that went a little like ‘I hate spiders and all bugs’ - such a blanket statement. I wanted so badly to unpick.
All the bugs? The bees going about their daily business, buzzing pollen free from your tomatoes? The ladybird tip-tapping it’s way across the flowers dancing in front of you? Butterflies riding the little breezes like a highway? Damn, even the spiders riding your house of flies?
Creating a space for these creatures is a privilege, to have a garden so abundant with life is a joy. Right now in August it feels like we’re at the pinnacle of it all, it’s time to savour. Last night I stood out and watched the bats swoop and dive catching their dinner, whilst simultaneously using the last bit of light to view the moths on their nightly hunt for their dusky breakfasts. And I thought, what a beautiful place to be surrounded by small buzzing, scuttling, creeping and crawling friends.
— Bringing blooms inside
This is the month to keep cutting in the garden to keep your flowering plant abundant, I’m feeling incredibly happy with my colour palette of peach, interjected with bold orange, dusky pink, blush pink and white for a palette cleanser. So lovely when your moodboard plan comes together.
It’s really now got me thinking of my plan for Spring 2027, and I’ve started the process of pulling together my moodboard for the bulbs - it takes me a while to whittle it down. I always have to remind myself a lot that there’s more impact on mass plantings that lots of cultivars. Old habits die hard.
But, if you don’t have cut flowers in your garden, it’s worth having a look for flower farms doing pick your own. I have a beautiful one near me called Denstroude Flower Farm, you pay for a bucket and you can fill it to your heart is content. Still getting to enjoy the cut flowers, all whilst supporting independent, homegrown flowers.
— Kitchen garden gluts
We’ve officially hit a point in our house where dinners all need to contain either tomatoes or beans (or even better, both). It’s a wonderful problem to have, you’d fear it would get boring but quite honestly, the opposite. I’m not sure if it’s all down to taste, or whether the relaxing nature of gathering the produce improves the entire mood of meals. Either way, it’s kitchen garden glut season, baby.
Sensible kitchen gardeners will tell you to make staggered sowings so things don’t get so… glutty. But, I like to bend the rules when it comes to certain produce. I love having enough tomatoes to give them freely to neighbours and friends. I like being so inundated with leaves that you find yourself being inventive with your fridge to create interesting dinners. I love knowing I created this abundance.
I’m also using this month to get together recipes for end of season too, like making chutney with green tomatoes and how many soups can I freeze for later. It never hurts to be prepared.
— Being rough around the edges
August is beautiful from afar, but up close you start to see tattered edges and signs of weariness (I was specifically talking about plants but actually I can relate hard to the signs of weariness). It’s the pinnacle before the fall of autumn, things don’t tend to go from full-steam ahead to gone over, overnight. August starts to see the edges of summer fraying.
Time to practice restraint and leave seed heads be as they start to turn like burnt toast. Still leaving the mower out of sight, letting the grass recover from the glaring sun. Deadheading routinely to keep the plant from getting through it’s journey and fading into the ground again.
Naturally we always see this descent into autumn as a sadness, but it’s really quite beautiful to see plants move through the seasons of their lives. To appreciate how much energy they put into blooming, but how they put as much into rest also.
Thank you for reading, allie x
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