Garden Update – August Posted on September 4, 2014May 2, 2025 By Becky Wowsers, August has really zipped on by Garden-wise. Probably because we haven’t actually done too much more to our little space- we’ve just sort of sat back and let nature do it’s thang, and reaped the rewards of us actually looking after our plants. I am pretty proud, as although I know my Mum played a big part in getting this garden up-and-running, so to speak, this is the first year that Adam and I have really felt invested in an outside space, and I’m just so happy that nothing has died! I genuinely enjoy gardening now (sliding into early middle age, no?), and find it immensely relaxing. The children have really delighted in our tomato and runner bean plants, and the joy on their faces when they spot a ripe tomato, or an extra-long bean to pick is just wonderful. I was really chuffed with F&S on Tuesday re the toms. I was otherwise occupied in the kitchen, and they were desperate to pick the oodles of tomatoes that were ripe, so I gave them a bowl and entrusted them with only picking the red ones, not yellow or green. I half expected them to come back with allsorts and was ready to accept this, but they returned with only the reddest, best-of-the-bunch tomatoes, and I felt so proud that at 2 and 3 they managed this. It shows that even at such a tender age, a child can learn some golden rules of nature i.e. what’s ready to pick and what is not, and get involved with the whole gardening/growing process. Without getting too sentimental, it’s a beautiful thing to see! Anyway, scroll down to see some of our garden photos from the past month: ^^^The aforementioned tomato plants and S with her little bowl after picking some. We have a ridiculous number this year, and have no need to add any to the Tesco order for quite a while! Ideas for more tomato-based recipes most welcome 🙂 ^^^Our hydrangea heads have seen the best of their summer, but apparently we have to keep them on, in order for them to flourish again next year (This is something I didn’t know before, I’m learning all the time!) ^^^… and our pink hydrangeas. These ones are still going a little stronger than our mauve ones. ^^^The olive tree is going from strength-to-strength still- I think we’ll need an even bigger pot soon! ^^^Some of our strawberry plants have come back from the brink of death-by-drowning, after their tubs were left thoughtlessly in the heavy rain of the last few weeks. I don’t think we’ll get any fruit this year, but we’ll probably transfer to a big tub at some point to encourage growth. ^^^Hurrah! The Centaurea has made a spectacular comeback after the snails came for a party and attacked it in July. They obviously left a bad review on Tripadvisor, because none have returned, thank goodness. ^^^Our sickly rose bush/climber is still randomly producing gorgeous flowers, just when you think it’s finished. I took this photo looking up, and I love the shadow effect created by the roses on the sky’s background. So, that’s us! I need to think about what needs doing in the garden over the next few months before winter sets in. What are your plans for your garden as we head into Autumn? x Teaming up with ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ and Manneskjur Blog! BeckyMeet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness. Gardening #hdygggardengarden inspirationgarden progressgardening blogsgardening for beginnershow does your garden grow
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Lovely pictures. Your tomatoes have done really well, we have been disappointed with ours this year. I love watching the changes of the colours and shades of our hydrangeas, even as they are coming to an end they are still beautiful x #HDYGG Reply
Thanks Kirsty! Yes, tomatoes seem to have been hit and miss this year- my MIL lives up the road and her plants have hardly has any she said 🙁 Good job we’ve got lots to go around! x Reply
Your garden is looking really good and I love the greeny pinky hydrangea heads. My hydrangea heads are going a bit cripsy and brown now but they still look nice. Impressive tomatoes 🙂 Reply
Your garden is looking really good and I love the greeny pinky hydrangea heads! My hydrangea heads are going a bit cripsy and brown now but they still look nice. Impressive tomatoes 🙂 Reply
I’m just waiting for my tomatoes to ripen. I always seem to get to October before I get a taste of them. I have always kept the heads on my hydrangeas (my dad told me so) as it protects the new buds from frost. My bushes get bigger and bigger each year so it must work! Reply
Ah that is probably what I heard re the hydrangeas, that keeping the heads on protects them in winter from the frost, thanks for reminding me! 🙂 Reply
Yes, I’m thinking about all the tidying jobs that will begin to stack up soon in the garden! I have a sickly climbing rose that produces random flowers too, every time I see one it cheers me up that its still going 🙂 Reply
your garden looks absolutely lovely. we too love sharing the growing process with our four year old. and funnily enough, fresh piked tomatoes from our garden are the only ones she will eat Reply
Lovely, lovely photos. Hydrangeas are on my ‘must buy’ list for next year, they seem to bloom for so long and look almost as nice when they go over as they do flowering. We too have had a glut of tomatoes – we made our own salsa, that used up loads 🙂 You are inspiring me a lot, an olive tree is something I’d love – and it would remind me of past holidays – always a good thing ! Thanks ever so much for joining in x Reply
Thanks Annie! We have been loving our hydrangeas so much that we’ve planted another yesterday in a big pot by the front door, so I’m hoping by next spring it should have grown and be flowering well! X Reply
Lovely photos. The toms are amazing, we had an excellent year for toms, taste amazing when home grown. I’m starting to think of what needs doing over the next few months, hopefully whatever it is will result in some colour over winter Reply
I’m about to move our rose – it doesn’t seem to like where it is so I think I’m just going to go for it. Funny old things aren’t they roses!? Reply
They sure are! I want it to stay where it is but it needs a bit of taming and pruning to bring it back to full health- it’s very fickle though! Reply
So true with children picking up what to pick and not to pick! And how happy they are to harvest! This is why I love gardening too. The rewards is so much more than what you invested =) #hdygg Reply
You’re so right, the rewards are huge 🙂 I just how much they are learning without even realising! Reply
Lovely Hydrangea, I didn’t know that about keeping the flowers on, I bought a potted one that flowered earlier on in the year and I chopped the flowers off when they faded- oops! Nice toms too. I think I will try again with toms next year. I haven’t grown them for a couple of years as they failed miserably last time I tried. :/ Reply
Def try with toms- we had some last year, but nothing like the amount this year! Ours have fared better in pots, as opposed to last year’s grow bags, not sure if that makes a difference or not or whether it’s just luck of the draw?! Reply