With the August coming to an end and thoughts of cool autumn days teasing the imagination, it’s time to get a few chores done in the garden – here are a few of our favorite landscaping tips and tricks to finish the summer on a high note.

So get out the pruning shears and the water hose, and dress for the summer heat. Plan to work on your landscape earlier in the day — when it’s cooler and plants are less stressed — and make sure you drink plenty of water.

Here are some landscape tips for the items we should focus on this month:

• Lawn maintenance: Raise the height of your mower’s blade to leave the cut grass taller, which provides better insulation from the heat and reduces water loss. In late August, you can start preparing for any lawn or garden projects that need to be done before winter.
• Vines: These fast-growing garden fillers often get unruly by August, so it’s a great time to give them a trim and ensure they’re contained and shaped the way you want them.
• Shrubs: Ensure these trusted garden mainstays are getting enough moisture, and deadhead any flowering plants to encourage new blooms and keep them looking well kept.
• Perennials: While it’s vital to your landscape’s health to monitor for proper moisture during the August heat, it’s also a good time to divide any perennials that have become crowded. Think of hostas, lilies, ornamental grasses, and bearded iris. Also, cut back your coreopsis to encourage further blooming.

For some horticultural inspiration, check out what’s going on in our region during August:

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is having a virtual floral design class, From the Garden to Your Vase, on August 11. On August 16, you can enjoy an evening in the garden while watching Dance on the Lunar Lawn, a performance by the Dance Institute of Washington.

Green Spring Gardens is offering Family Fun – Tree Trails, an exploration walk around the park for the whole family, on August 5. Watercolor Workshop – Illustrated Found Poems can be enjoyed by adults and teens at least 16 years old on August 19.

The National Arboretum continues its Saturday yoga classes through October 14, and will be hosting Poetry Slam in the Garden, a youth competition for those between 13 and 18 years old, on August 5.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is hosting Pup Days on August 2 and 16, allowing visitors to bring their favorite canine friends to enjoy the gardens. On August 10, preschoolers (and their parents/guardians) can learn about gardening through stories, songs, activities, and walking through the Children’s Kitchen Garden at the Preschool Nature Nuts – Very Yummy Veggies event.

If you have any landscape or gardening questions, please reach out at briandalydesigns@gmail.com. I love helping people enjoy their yards.