Parsley, sage, rosemary and time to get rid of pests

THE rosemarys I planted last summer are coming along nicely and this week I’ve been trimming back new growth to keep the plants shapely and compact.

The smell has been wonderful and I’ve harvested enough sprigs to keep us in roast lamb until next Easter.

My efforts haven’t just been restricted to aesthetics and culinary concerns – I’ve also been keeping my eyes peeled for signs the rosemary beetle have been at work.

This recent arrival from southern Europe first jumped the channel to England in the 1990s, and it has now become widespread across the UK.

The shiny beetle and its larvae feed on rosemary leaves and can decimate a plant, leaving behind stripped stems.

So far my plants have a clean bill of health but I’m always on the alert for signs these pesky insects have sneaked in and are feasting on my favourite herb.

If you do find them, there are chemical controls, but I prefer the more direct approach which involves just removing the beetles by hand or laying newspaper around the base of the rosemary then giving it a good shake to dislodge any beetles or larvae clinging to the stems.

Do the same with any lavender, sage or thyme as the beetles like these, too.

And take time to check your dahlias for earwig damage.

Dahlias are getting into their stride now and its so disheartening, when you’ve looked forward to their flowering for months, to see buds destroyed and petals spoiled by holes as they start to unfurl.

Whether you pack your borders with tall varieties or grow dwarf types in pots, there’s nothing like a dahlia for adding hot and vibrant colour.

Dahlias make the ideal partner for those prairie-style plants, including rudbeckia, heleniums and echinaceas, that also start flowering in late August.

The crocosmias are another favourite and while I’ve relied for years on ‘Lucifer’ to inject fireworks into the garden, I’ve discovered ‘Hellfire’ is an even deeper red and flowers for longer, so I’m also growing that.

By way of a contrast, Japanese anemones, with their tall stems and flowers in white or shell pink, add a note of delicacy and grace to the garden in late summer.

They can be tricky to establish, notably if you try to grow them in a sunny border, but give them a spot in semishade and they eventually develop into a large colony that flowers from mid-summer until October.

At every stage, from bud to seed-head, Japanese anemones are a delight and ignore anyone who tries to tell you that they are thuggish.

That’s a bit like saying that there are too many ballerinas in Swan Lake and that some of them should leave the stage.

As far as I’m concerned every tutu-like flower of Japanese anemone that appears on my patch is welcome to stay.