These monthly series of articles explore the highs and lows of gardening in a very small urban garden here in north-west England. You will discover the vagaries of our unique weather here in the UK, the maritime climate is minimum hardiness temperature Zone 8 and is typical of north-western Europe, well suited to growing many hardy perennials of all kinds. I hope together through the discussion area we can further our knowledge of plants, gardens and climates the world over. As we come to the end of summer, we look back on our triumphs and failures. This is a good time to take stock and see what changes we can make.
Urban gardeners have to cope with many problems, such as bad light and poor soil.
See what improvements you can make for next season. With August now upon us it is time to finally relax and ease back on all the work. Late summer colour is often sparse, but with a little forward planning, your containers and border need not be bare. White and blue are colours that look good in the evening light and are not that common at this time of year. These cooler colours will add a refreshing touch to jaded borders, just the ticket for relaxing in the garden.