Artful Gardens: August In San Miguel- Planting In The Rain And The Rhythm Of The Earth

By Rob Johnson

By August, most gardeners would tell you it’s too late to start anything new. But here in San Miguel de Allende, we live under a different sky. The rains keep falling, the land stays soft, and summer stretches long. This year in particular—an El Niño year—the rhythms have shifted even more. The Laja River is running wild, and the earth is rich, heavy, and alive. That means it’s not too late to plant. In fact, August is one of the most fertile, forgiving months of the year—if you know how to work with it.

At Artful Gardens, we’ve been navigating this year's unique challenges with both excitement and humility. Our crews are knee-deep (literally) in some big builds, and the mud is a constant dance partner. The rain is generous, but it doesn’t always make things easier. Trenches collapse, stone deliveries get stuck, patios flood overnight, and irrigation lines float back to the surface just when you thought you had them perfectly set.

And yet... there’s magic in the mess.

An Extended Summer

Because of the El Niño weather pattern, our summer is longer and wetter than usual. That gives us an extended window for planting—especially trees, shrubs, and perennials that appreciate warm soil and consistent moisture.

This is an ideal time to introduce deep-rooting natives, ornamental grasses, and flowering groundcovers that will get established quickly with the help of the rain. We’re also adding late color—zinnias, salvias, and rudbeckia—to many of our gardens. They not only survive the rain, they sing in it. If you’ve been watching your garden limp through the heat or slump under the weight of all this water, it might be time to refresh. Think of August as a chance to plant with confidence, knowing the rain is still on your side.

Lessons from the Ancients

The original peoples of the Bajío knew this rhythm intimately. The indigenous Chichimeca and Otomí cultures worked with the lunar and solar cycles to guide their planting. In August, the rains were welcomed as sacred. They held ceremonies under the full moon to honor fertility, growth, and the balance between water and sun.

Rather than planting on a fixed calendar, they planted in response to signs from the earth and sky: the flowering of certain wild plants, the behavior of insects, the cloud patterns forming in the highlands. This attunement to nature is something we try to honor in our own practice—because no matter how modern our tools get, we’re still working with ancient forces.

For example, the Otomí knew to plant root crops like sweet potatoes and yuca during waning moons, when the energy of the plant moves downward. Above-ground crops like beans, corn, and squash were sown on a waxing moon, pulling upward toward the sun. Even today, many campesinos still plant “by the moon,” and it’s not superstition—it’s observational science, rooted in generations of pattern and success.

The Rain and the Risk

But let's not romanticize it too much: rain brings problems too. As much as we celebrate the growth and green, we’re also battling mudslides, rotting roots, and materials that can’t get delivered. At one large job site, we’ve had to tarp everything twice a day just to make sure the cement work doesn’t wash away overnight. Another client's driveway has turned into a seasonal arroyo, and we’re now adding drainage mid-project just to stay ahead of it.

It’s all part of working in real time with real elements. There’s no pause button in August, just adaptation. And that’s what makes garden building in San Miguel so dynamic: every year is different, and every design must respond to the living land beneath it.

What to Do This Month

If you're not building from scratch, this is still a great time to:

• Add structure to the garden: raised beds, mounded areas, or dry-stack walls

• Divide and move overgrown plants, taking advantage of the soft ground

• Incorporate plants that love wet feet—like canna lilies, papyrus, or colocasia

• Refresh tropical pots that got battered by sun in May and are now ready to shine

• Monitor for pests and fungal growth, which thrive in warmth and wetness

• Most of all: be bold. Gardens in August don’t need to be tidy—they need to be alive.

  
  

Artful Gardens – Digging In, Rain or Shine

At Artful Gardens, we believe in working with the season, not against it. Whether we’re elbow-deep in clay or dodging afternoon downpours, we show up, we adapt, and we keep creating spaces that reflect the spirit of San Miguel.

August is not a time to retreat. It’s a time to get your hands in the soil, honor the moon, follow the water, and plant something new.

Whether you need help setting up irrigation, identifying pests, refreshing pots, or just want a seasonal garden update, Artful Gardens is here to bring beauty and balance to your outdoor (and indoor!) spaces. We specialize in thoughtful, low-water landscapes that thrive in San Miguel’s unique climate—and we always respect the land’s history while creating something new.

artfulgardens.mx