August is a glorious time of the year to enjoy your garden, as flowers are out in full bloom and fruit and vegetables are ready to harvest. But while it’s a great time to put your feet up and soak all of the colours and life in your outdoor space, there are still some important gardening tasks that need to be completed this month - and you’ll get to reap the rewards later in the year.

According to gardening experts, August is a good time to cut garden hedges in preparation for winter. Bird nesting season typically ends in late summer so it is a safe time for trimming without disturbing any young birds or their nests. t also allows you to give hedges a final trim before the colder weather sets in, which will encourage healthy growth for the spring season so your hedge grows back bigger and fuller.

Trimming in late summer also gives hedges time to recover and is early enough in the year to encourage some varieties, like Beech hedges, to produce new leaves that will last throughout the winter.

Helena Jones - a gardening expert and Head of Commercial at Hedges Direct, explains: “Unless you have a flowering hedge - in which case, trimming is generally advised after blooming - August is the perfect month for hedge cutting. 

“The birds have finished nesting, and now is sufficiently early in the year to avoid frost exposure on cut stems, yet late enough that there will be minimal regrowth before winter. The result is neat, healthy-looking hedges right through until spring.

“August means hedge trimming, regular watering, a spot of pruning, and even a bit of propagation. Because when did gardeners ever really sit still?"

Nesting birds are protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 so if you find a bird’s nest in your hedge you should avoid disturbing it until it is no longer occupied.

Experts at Hope Grove Nurseries add: “Towards the end of the summer, in August, bird nesting season comes to an end and it is much less likely that you will find birds in your hedges or shrubs. 

“If, at any point, there are nesting birds then you will need to stop and postpone trimming until after August. This ensures you are not disturbing nesting birds or other wildlife.

“The question of when to cut a hedge – or trim or prune it – is an important one. By pruning your hedge at the best time possible, you will fill your garden with bushy, healthy, vibrant hedges that add style to your outside space.

“The best time to cut a hedge will differ depending on the time of plant you have, for example, the best time to cut a beech hedge is in the late summer, ideally in August, whereas you can cut common laurel hedges back at anytime, although best to avoid the coldest months to avoid frost damage.”