Northwest
What to do in your garden in August
PLANTING
• Autumn crocus. Sunset climate zones 2-7, 17: Buy corms of autumn crocus (Colchicum) as soon as they appear in nurseries and garden centers. Pot them or set them out in filtered shade under deciduous trees. Their lilac purple, pink, or white flowers open on leafless stems in late August. The foot-tall leaves emerge in winter, then fade away as summer heats up.
• Containers. Brighten an entry or patio by filling containers with flowers like the ones listed for fall and late-summer color below. To reduce irrigation, mix water-storing polymer- or starch-based granules into the potting soil at planting time. The absorbent granules act like tiny sponges that hold water around roots until they need it.