AUGUST IN THE GARDEN

The decision to ban them from the RHS show brought countrywide publicity.

People even appeared at the gates and around the show dressed as gnomes.

That in itself was not surprising as lots of people enjoy nothing better than an excuse to dress up in any garb which will attract attention.

One such character - seen lurking near our stand - was dressed in black and purported to be a vine weevil, the scourge of plants and gardens.

The gentleman was so authentically dressed that the children were frightened to death of him.

And when he wasn't breathing threats of death on the weevils, he was reciting bits from Henry V.

Hardly surprising then if many children left in a state of confusion - believing that black beetles would be easy to find because they would always be reciting Shakespeare.

But it's no joke.

The vine weevil has probably become one of the greatest scourges of the garden and garden plants.

Our 'vine weevil' was simply trying to promote the product now available on the market to control the pest.

Such a product is now also being incorporated in compost particularly peat-based ones.

Of course the eventual non-use of peat composts may see an eventual decrease in such a scourge.

Meanwhile in the FLOWER BORDER there are other things to worry about.

Rambling roses will have finished flowering and can be pruned.

Cut all ties and bring the rose down to the ground.

Untangle the growths, cutting out at the base those which have flowered this summer.

Finally tie in the new growths which will flower next year.

Lavenders and other herbs should be clipped back as flowers finish to stop the bases of stems becoming bare.

As autumn approaches, think about where to build a compost heap to give a ready source of material to be dug into the soil later.

In the vegetable garden any outdoor tomatoes may need the lower foliage removing to expose the fruit to the sun.

Continue to sow lettuce and salad crops as this will probably be the last opportunity for this year.

Watch brassica crops for the appearance of caterpillars and while thinking of brassicas give Brussel sprouts a feed of balanced fertilizer.

Finally in the greenhouse watch out for signs of boytritis and grey mould which can appear where flowers have been removed.

To help avoid problems make sure you have plenty of ventilation - a good air flow ensures a drier atmosphere.

If you are growing bulbs inside for decoration later in the year, then think about what you will be ordering. Specially-prepared hyacinths and paper white narcissi are the most popular.

This is a good month for taking cuttings of many greenhouse favourites such as coleus, pilea, trandescantia and impatiens.

Increasing stock in this way will enable you to make a good start next season.

SUMMARY

FLOWER BORDERS

Prune rambling roses

Cut back lavender

Plan for compost heap

VEGETABLE GARDEN

Remove lower foliage from tomatoes

Continue to sow salads

Feed Brussels sprouts

GREENHOUSE

Ventilate well

Order bulbs

Take cuttings

THIS MONTH'S RECIPE

BEETROOT is one of the most underrated root vegetables we grow.

It has the advantage of being available all year round yet it only occasionally is seen on the table.

Here is a recipe from Finland - a variation on the beef burger:-

Ingredients

11/4 lb/757g Lean minced beef

1 Small onion - finely chopped

6oz/175g Cooked beetroot - finely diced

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

.5 Teaspoon dried dill

Pinch ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

A knob of butter

Method

Place all ingredients, except butter, in a bowl and mix together well with a fork.

It may take some time until all the beetroot stays in the mixture.

Shape into four large beefburgers and fry in a knob of butter for four to five minutes on each side depending on how well you like your burgers cooked

Plant of the MonthChrysanthemum 'Revert

AT the RHS flower show it was amusing to see there was still such a great interest in what we used to call the chrysanthemum.

We used to grow large blooms, then we went on to sprays and in between all of that, a lot of sub divisions confused even more by the taxonomists.

But there is no longer any need to spend endless time and energy in long growing periods to produce what we want.

Modern spray chrysanths have taken all the heartache out of that.

I love green flowers and I enjoyed, as an apprentice, growing the large flowered Japanese chrysanths. Green Goddess was my favourite.

It was even more interesting when I found that the whole green bloom was served on the plate as a substitute for lettuce.

So I have chosen Revert - a wonderful lime green flower that can be used with great effect among the bronze foliage of cannas.

It would enhance many a garden.

GARDEN TO VISIT

Bellhouse Nursery

THIS is the time of year to think about making changes in the garden so we should be looking for new plants to go with our new ideas.

Why not go along and talk to Elaine or Doreen at Bellhouse Nursery.

There's always something new to see and discuss with some really unusual plant material to cater for even the most discerning of customers.

It's open 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Monday.

Bellhouse Nursery, Bellhouse Lane, Moore, Near Warrington, Cheshire WA4 6TR.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.