It may be perception, but the West End has received sporadic rain showers over the past eight weeks, whereas other parts of the Island have received some heavy rain.

So now that Somerset have won the Cup, Mother Nature in her wisdom, has blessed us.

However, after such a long dry period, the question is, what do we tackle first in the garden?

St. Augustine lawns will certainly need an application of chinch bug control, as many areas are showing signs of the insects activity during the long hot dry period just experienced.

Controls can be found in a liquid form or as a granular, the latter either as a strand-alone chemical, or mixed with a fertiliser.

Whichever is used, be sure to read the instructions.

Hopefully we will continue to receive more liquid sunshine over the next couple of weeks, as it is important that grass is not under stress conditions when any chemical is applied.

As the soil depth in Bermuda varies tremendously, it is sometimes difficult to establish the cause of brown patches in lawns when just eye balled.

Areas with little soil depth will brown quickly in hot periods, especially with the addition of foot traffic.

A good fertilising will also assist all lawns at this time just to give them a boost, apply when the grass has again started to grow actively, and is not stressed by drought.

Mowing heights are also important during dry hot weather, scalping lawns just adds to the stress factor, never remove more than a third of the leaf blade at any cut, the green leaf is the life blood for the plant!

For those machines that have been working non-stop, take time out and service the engine and sharpen the blades, you will notice the difference.

With rain comes growth and of course with young growth comes insect activity.

Many plants will flush readily after the rain, with plants such as Pentas and Lantana producing strong growth.

Aphids and caterpillars will become active as new growth appears. Plants should be treated with a spray as a preventative and not wait to be applied as a cure!

Several chemicals are available for this exercise; your nurseryman should be able to assist in the selection process.

Always check the instructions, as certain plants can show sensitivity to certain sprays, with often devastating results.

Many gardens, due to the dry conditions, will not have received any fertiliser applications for a long period; this can now be remedied by using both a granular feed and a liquid application as a supplement.

Granular fertilisers, which are coated with a urea base or similar, are preferred as chemical release is activated by weather conditions, and quick release burn is reduced tremendously.

Hot weather, rain and fertilising are of course the ingredients for encouraging growth, which means the inspection of plants and consideration to prune.

Pruning is carried out to reduce growth, dead head flowers or develop branch framework.

Reducing growth is especially important at this time of year, as hurricanes come into season.

New growth is soft and does not withstand strong salt winds, it is therefore important to reduce the amount of growth in the head of the tree of shrub, thus creating a filtering effect for the wind.

With this approach, wind will filter through the branches causing less damage.

Plants that are not pruned will act like a sail, with movement of wind being restricted, causing more damage.

Flowering plants will continue to produce anew, if old flower heads are removed, and energy is then directed to producing secondary flushes of growth and blossom.

Such running also assists in developing healthy growth in plants such as plumbago, Spentas, lantana and blue daze, which often develop heavy tight knit growth which acts as an incubator for pests and diseases.

Developing a framework is creating the foundation for future growth and shape of the plant as it matures.

Such running includes removal of dead, dying and diseased wood, crossing and misshapen and weak branches, and creating an open centre to allow light to penetrate and encourage strong growth.

Vines will be active at this time of year, with most being of a tropical nature.

Several vines can be allowed to grow as ground covers, whereas others need to climb to give of their best, in the case of the latter running and 'trying' in are important.

Growth is always at the tip of a branch; therefore, as the branch grows longer, the part nearest the root will usually start to lose its leaves.

To avoid this effect, prune several branches back to a third of their growth, thus creating a green effect from ground level, which is far more attractive to the eye.

August and September are therefore months for hurricanes, help and Heineken...which reminds me of the old rhyme, 'ten green bottles standing on the lawn....but seriously, back to work, there is much to do.