Have you ever run to catch a bus and then, out of breath, stopped and admitted that you’re not going to make it?

Well, that’s how our hanging baskets and container plants feel by August. They’ve battled the elements, sucked compost dry of nutrients, flowered all summer, tried to set seed and are now ready to keel over.

But If you want to displays to last well into autumn, preferably into October, and this is easily achieved. The most important job is to water daily throughout August, unless compost is very wet. Dry compost shrinks away from the side of pots and baskets and is trickier to re-wet once it’s as dry as dust. During a heatwave, pots and baskets may need watering twice daily. If that’s not possible, stand pots in saucers or trays of water in hot weather. Try to avoid wetting foliage and flowers when watering. Dead-heading should be a weekly routine in August. It prevents plants diverting their energy to setting seed. To keep flowers coming, I apply a liquid feed every seven to 14 days from June to September. Feed when the compost is moist for best effect.

Plants should be liquid fed every 7-14 days

Miracle-Gro, Phostrogen and Incredibloom do a good job – or use tomato food, diluted to half-strength, with every watering.

See below for five jobs to keep pots and baskets at their best until the end of summer.

5 essential pot and basket-care jobs

1- French and African marigolds are prolific bloomers but flowers set seed quickly. Pinch out spent flowers promptly and more blooms will follow.

2- Dahlias are great for late season color. Use secateurs to dead-head, then check plants for black fly on stems. Blast them off with a hose, or use a bug killer.

3- Where a plant has gone over or looks unsightly, remove it from the container. Always top-up with fresh compost before replacing the plant.

4- New Guinea impatiens and geraniums, are still on sale at many stores. They make good instant replacements for gaps in pots and baskets, and quickly flower.

5- Petunias can suffer from die back by August, especially if not dead-headed regularly. Cut dead stems away from plants. Many will put on fresh growth.

A decorative barrel of hardy herbs will provide flavourful pickings throughout autumn and into winter – ideal for salads, soups and stews.

   If you often use herbs when cooking, then creating a herb planter is an easy, economical way to source them. Planters are perfect for herbs as their growth will be contained and they can be brought indoors in cold weather with little fuss.

   Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme prefer a sandy soil, so try using a sand or pebble mulch around the plants to create the ideal conditions. Planting multiple herbs in the same container gives an attractive aesthetic but it is wise to group plants according to their needs. Moisture-lovers such as basil, coriander and parsley grow best in full sun, whereas bay, sage and oregano require drier, leaner soil. 

   Deadheading plants regularly promotes new growth and also keeps the plant small and bushy, the perfect build for a container plant. Herbs that grow sideways, such as mint, are better off potted alone in a wide-set container so they have room to spread.

   Regular watering is key for any container garden, as potted plants dry out very quickly. However, Mediterranean herb species, such as rosemary (left), can drown in excess water, so take care to research the needs of specific herbs in case you are over-generous with irrigation. Move tender herbs such as basil undercover when temperatures fall. Hardy herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, can stay out – and be picked – all winter long.