Peter Dowdall: Why I associate August with hydrangeas, sweet peas and asters

While there may be more to be done, your garden is already a beautiful place and somewhere where you can unwind 

'One of my mother’s favourite flowers was sweet pea and each year I grow them and think of her,' says Peter Dowdall. File pictures

There's one very important thing to do in the garden during August. It’s important because, whether we like it or not, summer is drawing to a close, the evenings are getting that bit shorter — perhaps not yet too noticeable but shorter they are getting — and soon life will head even more indoors.

That task that I refer to? Enjoy it. Make sure that you take time out to relax and smell the roses so to speak. Speaking for myself, and perhaps all of us, I can be at risk of always just seeing what other jobs need to be done, what weeds need to be pulled, which plants need to be pruned, where needs to be cleaned, and I can forget to do that most important thing of all, simply sit back and enjoy what is all around us.