Summer refresh on the balcony
Dig It!
Wednesday, 26 August 2026 - 3 minutes
A hot summer leaves its mark on a balcony, and Hester Macdonald turns to what can be salvaged and what is best replaced.
Dead-heading comes first: faded flowers pinched off or snipped at the next pair of leaves, which should bring fresh growth once temperatures drop. She makes the case for a small pair of secateurs with a narrow nose, and explains what a pin spring adds.
At the Swiss Gardening School in Nyon, reflected heat from plate-glass windows has seen off a normally unkillable Muehlenbeckia, while blue Festuca glauca and rosemary came through untroubled.
There is also advice on filling gaps with dahlias, and on picking up end-of-season bargains on furniture and shade sails.
