When August rolls around, it's time for relaxation.  All spring, you've planted, watered, fertilized.  Some of you re-designed your gardens, built new patios and decks. And we know lots of you purchased new garden furniture.

So now it's time, to sit back, relax and enjoy the great summer weather we've been having.  But tempting as it is, don't just sit there, or you'll miss our Summer Clearance Sale.

If you've still looking for quality garden furniture - the kind that looks stylish, is super comforable and stands up to our weather with minimum maintenance - hurry to your nearest Dig This store.  All of our in-stock garden furniture is on sale 20% off.  We still have a great selection of styles, but they are going fast.

Beyond furniture, there are lots of other savings to be had.  Selected merchandise - including indoor and outdoor pottery, garden ornaments, summer table linens, and more - are on sale now for 20% to 50% off the regular price.

I recently visited the Japanese Garden on Mayne Island. Conceived as a means of commemorating the Japanese who had settled and worked on the island between 1900 and 1942, I found the garden to be a beautiful, serene spot to spend a few hours contemplating exactly what is it that makes a garden a peaceful retreat.

Nearly every aspect of a traditional Japanese garden is carefully planned and interrelated, making the garden more constructed than merely planted. What a contrast to my garden, where I am known to buy plants on impulse and then wander around with them still in the pot, thinking where can I squeeze this in?

Japanese gardens incorporate the basic elements of nature, including water, stone, wood, gravel or sand, as well as moss and other plants. Foliage texture and form is emphasized over bold use of flower color. The inherent qualities of these natural materials become integral parts of the garden - the smoothness of a stone, the grain in a piece of wood, the cragginess of a rock formation, the shape of a leaf - and so help to create serenity.

Anyone can add Japanese elements to an existing garden, or carve out a part of a garden for an Asian theme. A stone lantern, a small patch of raked gravel, a stone bench next to a softly flowing Japanese maple, or an Oriental gong can offer a focal point that is distinctly Asian.

Water is one of the most important elements in a Japanese garden. The sound of water creates a feeling of solitude and still ponds or pools of water evoke a feeling of calmness. A simple bamboo spitter set in a pottery bowl can bring the element of running water to any garden.

Japanese gardens provide a respite from our busy lives – and are there any of us who don’t need a little peace and calm from time to time?

Elizabeth Cull, Franchise President

For more information on Japanese garden design, go to http://www.helpfulgardener.com/japanese  
To learn more about Mayne Island’s Japanese Garden, go to http://www.mayneisland.com/places/japanesegarden/index.html  

One of the delights of my garden is watching the hummingbirds. In Victoria, we are blessed with a resident, year-round hummingbird, the Anna’s, plus the migratory Rufous which visit us from March until September.  So there are always hummingbirds around to amuse me.

The cheeky little things perch at the top of my tallest cedar tree surveying the gardens around them as if they were their personal kingdoms. Should another hummingbird dare to come by, the aerial acrobatics begin.  Who would think such tiny things could be so fierce!

Hummingbirds are attracted to flowers by their colour and shape. Best bets to attract hummingbirds are: aquilegia, buddleia, caryopteris, coreopsis, crocosmia, delphinium, dianthus, Echinacea, erigeron, geum, heilopsis, heuchera, hibiscus, kniphofia, lobelia, lysimachia, monarda, penstemon, phlox, polemonium, rubbeckia, scabiosa, solidago, verbena, veronica.

Using pesticides around hummingbird plants is a very bad idea. Pesticides will eliminate the small insects hummingbirds rely upon for protein. In addition, hummers might directly ingest pesticides sprayed onto flowers, which could sicken or kill the birds.

Once the hummers have found your garden, they will keep coming back to feed. Hummingbirds feed every 3-5 hours during the day, and since there may be times when your garden isn’t producing enough nectar-filled blooms, a hummingbird feeder is a good idea. 

The solution for hummingbird nectar is 4 parts water to 1 part white sugar - not brown and never honey!  Do not use food colouring. Keep your feeders clean by changing the mixture every 3-4 days and washing well between fillings.

We carry a beautiful selection of hummingbird feeders.  To see a wonderful video of hummingbirds and some of the feeders we carry, go to http://www.parasolgarden.com/video.asp

Q: A number of my plants have developed a white, powder-like coating on the leaves. What is this and what can I do about it?  Carole P.

A: This is powdery mildew, common when weather conditions are warm and dry during the day and cold at night, and also when the soil is dry. Typical Victoria summer conditions!

Powdery mildew is caused by various species of fungi and is most severe at the end of the growing season. It can affect trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, annuals, bulbous plants, vegetables, fruits and many indoor plants.
Infected leaves may become distorted, turn yellow with small patches of green, and fall prematurely. Infected buds may fail to open.
If you spot powdery mildew on your plants
- Avoid late-summer applications of nitrogen fertilizer to limit the production of succulent tissue, which is more susceptible to infection. 

- Avoid overhead watering to help reduce the relative humidity.

- Remove and destroy all infected plant parts (leaves, etc.). For infected vegetables and other annuals, remove as much of the plant and its debris in the fall as possible. This decreases the ability of the fungus to survive the winter. Do not compost infected plant debris. Temperatures often are not hot enough to kill the fungus.

- Selectively prune overcrowded plant material to help increase air circulation. This helps reduce relative humidity and infection.

If cultural controls fail to prevent disease build up or if the disease is too widespread, an application of a fungicide (such as Funginex) may be necessary. An alternative non-toxic control for mildew a mixture of 1 ½ Tbsp. baking soda, 1 Tbsp. liquid dish soap or Safer’s insectical soap, and 1 gallon of water.

We hate to mention fall just yet, but we all know that next month, the leaves will begin coming down.  One of the best ways to deal with fall leaves is to turn them into mulch for your garden.

The Flowtron LE900 is one of the best leaf mulchers on the market.  The wide 21-inch diameter funnel swallows leaves as fast as you can feed them, mincing them down to fine mulch. This little unit is surprisingly powerful, and at only 17 pounds it’s so light you can mount it atop a trash can or bungee-cord a plastic bag to the outfeed and collect the waste. The hopper tilts to 45 degrees to make loading easier. Double cutting lines are powered by an 5-amp motor.  It’s a great unit for the homeowner, reducing 11 bags of leaves to just one bag of mulch, ready for use in flower beds and vegetable gardens.

Dig This will have a limited supply of mulchers in our stores by the end of August.  If you're interested, reserve yours now by calling the store nearest you.

August is often a time for sitting back and enjoying your garden and all that hard work you have put in. Relax in your deckchair, put your feet up and listen to the birds singing and the insects buzzing. However, there still are a few garden activities you can do!

Keep planting arugula, cilantro, lettuce, oriental greens, scallions, spinach and turnips.

Seed a fall crop of peas and spinach.

Pick herbs for fresh use and for drying. Harvesting will keep them growing longer.

Spread a mid-season layer of compost or manure.

Keep deadheading flowers to keep the blooms coming. Leave some annual seeds to self-sow.

Remove any diseased foliage now, so it doesn't get lost in the fall leaves.

Cut back the foliage of early bloomers like Brunnera and hardy geraniums, to revitalize the plants.

Prune summer flowering shrubs as the flowers fade.

Trim and feed handing baskets to prolong their beauty.

Take pictures of your garden at peak.

Take pictures of container combinations you'd like to repeat.

Begin dividing perennials. For tips on dividing perennials go to http://gardening.about.com/od/perennials/ss/DividingSBS.htm

Plant trees, shrubs and perennials now, so they can take root, and keep them well watered.

Then sit back and enjoy all you've accomplished!

Time was, I used to leave boxes of zucchini on the curb with a sign "Free to a Good Home".

Ever since I found this great relish recipe, I've had no trouble using all my zucchini.

10 cups zucchini
4 cups onions
5 Tbsp. pickling salt
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 ¼ cups vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. celery seed
½ tsp. pepper

Grind zucchini, onions and salt and let stand overnight. Drain and rinse twice in cold water to remove salt.

Grind red and green peppers together. Add to zucchini with remaining ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes.

Ladle while hot into sterile jars and seal.

Makes 5 to 6 pints.   Tastes great with chicken, on burgers and with grilled cheese sandwiches.

(Harrowsmith Cookbook)

Many of you know Birdie, the old gal who sits outside the Johnson Street store, rain or shine, greeting customers.  We recently were sent this photo, which made us wonder if the old gal has a boyfriend she's keeping secret!

September is traditionally the time to start putting our gardens to bed, so look for articles on garden clean up and how to get the best use out of your greenhouse in the fall.

We hope all our readers are enjoying our beautiful summer and spending lots of lazy days in the garden.

The Dig This Team