What Seeds to Plant in August
August in the Garden: Ready, Set, Grow!
There’s something magical about August in the garden. The air still holds a bite of winter, but the days are lengthening, the soil is slowly warming, and the plants (and gardeners) can feel the change coming. It’s a month full of promise. Buds start to swell, fruit trees wake from dormancy, and self-sown seedlings start to pop up here and there like little green whispers of what’s to come.
It’s also the gateway to spring, the biggest planting season. For many of us, this is the time to get serious about planning, prepping, and planting. Whether your garden’s a full-blown patch or a collection of pots on the balcony, August is your chance to get a head start and sow the seeds for a productive, colourful summer ahead.
And let’s be honest: who doesn’t start dreaming of tomatoes about now? Jump to Seed List
How many tomato plants do you need?
In my book, the answer is always more. Tomatoes are the heart and soul of the summer veggie patch. From cherries to beefsteaks, sweet little goldens to richly ribbed heirlooms, there’s a tomato for every plate and every gardener. If you’ve got the space, go wild. If not, even a single pot-grown plant can reward you handsomely.
Best bang for your buck?
Look no further than cucumbers and zucchinis. These two are absolute workhorses in the garden. They don’t ask for much space and boy, do they produce. A healthy plant will throw fruit at you so fast, you’ll be handing extras to your neighbours (or finding new zucchini slice recipes before you know it!). If you’re feeling the squeeze from rising grocery prices, these two can help ease the burden with their generosity.
Grow what works and what saves you money
Use this season to build on what worked last year. Was it cherry tomatoes? Great then plant more. Maybe your beans were a winner? Fantastic, they’re reliable, productive, and a good source of homegrown protein. Think about what you’re buying regularly at the shops such as herbs, greens, salad fixings and look at how many of those you could grow yourself instead.
Those colourful cherry tomatoes that cost a fortune at the supermarket? You can grow your own rainbow mix with ease. And beans? Once they get going, they’re practically unstoppable.
Don’t forget the flowers!
Now’s also the time to start on your summer flower meadow. Sow it early and you’ll be rewarded with months of colour, fragrance, and pollinator-friendly blooms. Bees, butterflies and beneficial insects will thank you—and they’ll repay the favour by helping keep pest numbers down as the season heats up. Flowers like calendula, cosmos, and nasturtiums are beautiful and useful.
Your August To-Do List
August isn’t just about sowing, it’s also about planning. Know your climate zone and make your planting decisions based on what grows best where you are. Here’s a quick snapshot of what you can get into the ground this month, zone by zone:
🌿 Cool Mountain Zones
Veggies: Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, Rocket, Silverbeet, Spinach, Spring Onions
Herbs: Coriander, Dill, Parsley
Flowers: Everlastings, Snapdragons, Sweet Peas
🌵 Arid Zones
Veggies: Amaranth, Artichoke, Asparagus Pea, Beans, Beetroot, Borage, Cape Gooseberry, Carrot, Celeriac, Celery, Chilli, Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Luffa, Mizuna, Mibuna, Mustard Spinach, Okra, Onion, Pak Choy, Parsnip, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Tomatillo, Tomato, Turnip
Herbs: Agrimonia, Angelica, Basil, Bergamot, Burdock, Chives, Chrysanthemum, Comfrey, Coriander, Dill, Gaillardia, Heartsease, Hyssop, Livingstone Daisy, Marjoram, Marshmallow, Mugwort, Nettle, Oregano, Queen Anne’s Lace, Sage, Savory, Tansy, Valerian, Wormwood
Flowers: Aster, Calendula, Carnation, Celosia, Chamomile, Cornflower, Cosmos, Dahlia, Dianthus, Echinacea, Everlastings, Gypsophila, Larkspur, Lavender, Marigold, Nasturtium, Native Iris, Nigella, Poppy, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Snapdragon, Stock, Swan River Daisy, Sweet Pea, Veronica, Wild Pansy
🌼 Temperate Zones
Veggies: Artichoke, Asparagus, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cape Gooseberry, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chilli, Eggplant, Endive, Fennel, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Radish, Rocket, Silverbeet, Spinach, Strawberries, Turnip, Watermelon, Zucchini
Herbs: Burdock, Catnip, Chamomile, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Parsley, Salad Burnet, Sorrel, Yarrow
Flowers: Alyssum, Everlastings, Salvia, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea, Veronica, Zinnia
🌴 Subtropical Zones
Veggies: Amaranth, Artichoke, Asparagus, Asparagus Pea, Beans, Beetroot, Cabbage, Cape Gooseberry, Capsicum, Carrot, Celeriac, Celery, Chilli, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Luffa, Mustard Spinach, Okra, Onion, Parsnip, Pumpkin, Radish, Rocket, Rockmelon, Silverbeet, Squash, Sunflower, Sweetcorn, Tomatillo, Tomato, Turnip, Warrigal Greens, Watermelon, Zucchini
Herbs: Agrimonia, Angelica, Basil, Bergamot, Borage, Burdock, Carnation, Catnip, Chives, Comfrey, Coriander, Dill, Echinacea, Heartsease, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Marshmallow, Mint, Mugwort, Nettle, Oregano, Perilla, Queen Anne’s Lace, Sage, Salad Burnet, Savory, Sorrel, Tansy, Valerian, Wormwood, Yarrow
Flowers: Alyssum, Calendula, Celosia, Chamomile, Chrysanthemum, Cornflower, Dahlia, Dianthus, Everlastings, Gaillardia, Gypsophila, Larkspur, Lavender, Livingstone Daisy, Marigold, Nasturtium, Native Iris, Nigella, Poppy, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Stock, Swan River Daisy, Veronica, Wild Pansy, Zinnia
🌺 Tropical Zones
Veggies: Amaranth, Beans, Borage, Cabbage, Cape Gooseberry, Cucumber, Kohlrabi, Mustard Spinach, Okra, Pak Choy, Spring Onions, Squash, Sunflower, Sweetcorn, Zucchini
Herbs: Agrimonia, Basil, Bergamot, Comfrey, Coriander, Echinacea, Heartsease, Marjoram, Mugwort, Perilla, Salad Burnet, Thyme, Wormwood
Flowers: Ageratum, Aster, Carnation, Celosia, Chamomile, Chrysanthemum, Cornflower, Cosmos, Dahlia, Dianthus, Gaillardia, Gypsophila, Larkspur, Lavender, Livingstone Daisy, Nasturtium, Nettle, Nigella, Poppy, Queen Anne’s Lace, Rudbeckia, Stock, Swan River Daisy, Wild Pansy, Zinnia
If you’re unsure which climate zone you’re in, the climate zone map can point you in the right direction.
So take a moment in the garden this week—pull a few weeds, check your seed stash, and start sketching out your spring plans. There’s a whole growing season ahead, just waiting for you to dig in.
🌿 Ready, steady… grow!
