The Gardener's Rest: August.

There's always something to do in the garden. TMTC's aunt kindly watered our pots and baskets whilst we spent a week at the coast in Wales, and I'd already cut back the bedding plants which is something I find helps prevent them running to seed and giving up when left to their own devices. In another week or two more flowers will be produced to eek out the summer display.

A quick visit to the garden centre on our return home allowed us to add to our little plot this Agapanthus 'Twister'. I've never grown them before, but on holiday there were many varieties on show, which led to us buying just one - to see how we get on and if I can successfully bring it through the winter months by moving the pot into the shed.

This huge variegated grass in the terrace border has begun reverting to plain green. It was tiny when we planted it on our arrival here. TMTC dug it up, along with the stump of a shrub we cut down but was unable to remove it at the time. Eventually he managed to split the grass and replanted a nice variegated section behind the Photinia beside the pond...

...along with the heuchera which had also been temporarily planted in the terrace border. The colour picks out the red hues in the Photinia nicely.

Some topsoil and compost were worked into the large hole left by the grass, before a Verbena Bonariensis and two pinky purple Salvia Superba 'Merleau Rose' planted.

The Gaura has been moved from the partial shade of the Long Border to the full sun position of the Terrace Border. It should be happier here.

On the other side of the Eryngium (which for some reason hasn't flowered this year), a further Verbena Bonariensis and two blue-purple Salvia Superba 'New Dimensions Blue' has been planted.

And finally a clump of Perovskia 'Little Spire' added beside the Eryngium. The bees are already finding these new acquisitions irresistible!

The blackbirds have been ferreting around in the pots of spring bulbs beneath the workspace table and some are already sprouting. I've therefore sorted out the bulbs and potted up as many of them into single types as possible, in plain plastic pots. The plan is to pop them into spaces in the garden in the spring. A few have been planted into containers to put on the patio with room to add violas when the temperatures lower in the autumn.

Either side of the patio arch, a couple of grey ribbed containers similar to those housing the Viburnums have been planted up with lacecap hydrangeas 'Blueberry Cheesecake' in ericaceous compost. They're a little pinky-lilac at the moment as I suspect they've been watered with tap water, but they're very pretty and if the lacecap we have in the front garden is anything to go by, very floriferous.