From Clearissa Coward’s Command Center – A Cozy Lifestyle with Clearissa Coward
7 Tips For Maintaining A Lush Spring-Like Garden All Summer
Spring has come and gone and if you love gardening as much as I do, you miss her already. Gone are the lovely temperatures of 80 & 85 degrees. They have been replaced with temperatures of 90 and above. Some days reaching the three digit mark. Uggh!!! Also gone is the much-needed daily or at least weekly rain showers (unless it’s torrential and storms). And, more than I, guess what misses those spring-time temps and those showers…my garden. It’s this time of year that gardening becomes a chore for me and not as much fun as it is during the spring and fall. So, to help me and you too, get through the hot, dog days of summer, I have found some ways to keep our gardens spring-time fresh during the smoldering days of summer.
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We can have that lush spring-like garden during the summer, but it requires some planning and some work.
Mulching:
According to Better Homes & Garden (BHG), a 2-inch-deep layer of mulch over your soil is one of the best things you can do for your garden. The mulch blankets the ground, shielding the soil from the sun. This keeps it cooler and your plant roots are happier and prevents moisture loss from evaporation as well. I refresh my mulch twice a year. It also make the flower beds look so clean. You can read more from BHG here.
BHG also says that one mulch is no better than the other and suggests you can use leaves or even grass clipping to mulch your garden. However, personally, I love the aesthetic charm mulch brings to a garden as well. Therefore, leaves or grass clipping will not do for me. I like shredded wood. It not only keeps the sun from baking the roots of your plants but it also has a clean look to it. I usually add a layer of mulch to my garden in the spring and another in late fall. The fall layer protects bulbs and cleans the garden up for the winter.
Watering:
Obviously, we have to water more often during the wilting days of summer, but how and when we water is just as important as knowing we need to water.
Weetas advises that we should always water our gardens during the cool times of the day. The best times are early morning or evening to avoid evaporation.
Also, it is much better to water deeply; this means you should apply more water on longer intervals than to water a little bit every day, as this encourages the plant roots to sink in more deeply into the soil.
I like to water in the late evening. It’s a relaxing time of day and I don’t feel rushed. It gives me a chance to chat with neighbors and to enjoy the garden I’ve worked so hard to produce.
Potted Plants:
You will need to pay close attention to your potted plants as they will dry out faster than those planted directly in the soil. They do not have the option for the roots to go deeper into the ground for protection from the hot sun.The sun is very hot and direct on the front of my house so I try to water the potted plants twice a day if I can. I water in the morning before work and in the evenings when I water all of the other plants. This keeps them happy.
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Try to remember that plants are more protected in larger pots than in smaller ones because there is more soil and therefore more room for roots to spread out. You will also have room in a larger pot to add mulch to the top of the pot to aid in sun protection and to help maintain moisture.
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Fertilizer:
Some fertilizers are too strong for summer use, and you could risk burning the roots. However, I use natural fertilizers such as Epsom salt for my roses and coffee grinds for all my plants which will not burn my plants in the heat but will give them a much-needed boost.
Weetas also suggests using water-soluble fertilizers during the hot months of summer as well. A liquid fertilizer treatment often reduces heat stress and it may help protect the plant in the future.
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Apply a soluble fertilizer with added seaweed, and use that opportunity to simultaneously water, feed, and correct mineral deficiencies. I am not sure if seaweed is an ingredient, but I like Miracle Grow for summer gardens.
Deadheading:
Now I will admit I am a little lazy about this. I have a large rose garden and the thought of deadheading each of those bushes is a little daunting. I generally give them a good haircut once the blooms are spent. Yes, I know that some gardeners say you aren’t supposed to do that because it is too taxing on the plants during the hot days of summer, but it works for me. I am not suggesting you do this, but with a rose garden as large as mine, I just cannot deadhead every single bloom. I give them a good trim, fertilize with Epsom salt and coffee grinds and before long there is new growth with new buds.
I do deadhead the few potted plants that require it, but I try to stay away from plants that require deadheading in order to have continuous blooms. I just do not have the patience.
Weeding:
If you are not careful, weeds can take over a small garden during the summer because they thrive in the heat and sun. The best time t0 weed is after watering or after a good soaking rain. The roots will release much easier when wet.
Weed often during the summer because what you do not want is to give a weed time to develop a strong taproot. If that happens, it is difficult to get rid of the culprit. I have one that hid from me behind a rose bush and by the time I found it, it was strong rooted. Now we can’t get it out without upsetting the rose, so we have to cut it back periodically. I believe the dang thing would be a tree if left alone.
Traveling:
If you are traveling during the summer try to have a nice neighbor or pay one of the neighborhood children to water your plants at least once a day. If you do not have a neighbor, I would suggest a plant nanny for your potted plants. If you are gone for more than a couple of days a plant nanny can keep your pots watered up to a week depending on how hot it gets in your area. My only other suggestion is to pray for rain. 😉
There you have it. My suggestions for maintaining a lush and flowering garden all summer long. What do you do to keep your garden flourishing during the dog days of summer? Share your secrets in the comments section below.
Happy gardening.
If you want some tips to get your car road ready for your summer road trip or just for the summer temperature change, check out this article.
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Great ideas! Thanks for sharing. Pinned and shared!
Thank you Carol. 🙂
These are all great tips Clearissa and especially for someone like me who knows practically nothing about gardening.
Thank you for sharing. You mentioned usins epson salt and coffee grinds. Is there a certain amount to ise?
Hi Mary. I am happy you found the post helpful. Thank you. 🙂
Hi Yvonne,
I actually do not measure. I add a serving spoon amount of coffee grinds at the base of plants in the ground and as for the epsom salt, you can add a cup to a gallon of water or do as I do and just throw a handful at the base of your plants. I hope that helps and thank you for stopping in.
I wish I could grow things without killing them. Maybe after reading your post I might get brave. 😉
Hi Dianna, don’t be intimidated. If you have a difficult time with plants, choose small ones that are not expensive and begin there. It is so satisfying to watch things grow. Give it a try.
Great tips for anyone with a garden. Thanks for sharing on To Grandma’s House We Go!
Thank you Chas. I hope you enjoyed.
We love to garden and have to weed and water all the time. Found you on Blogging Grandmothers Link Party.
Hi Candy, I love the result of gardening. 🙂 And I do it in the space I have. It makes me sad when the heats hits and we have days and days of 100-degree weather without rain. I work to keep my garden flourishing because it makes me sad to watch plants shrivel up. They make a home look so happy and welcoming. 🙂
I didn’t know that about fertilizer in the summer. I’m pinning so i can follow up with some of these ideas.
Hi Donna. Thank you. I hope your garden continues to flourish.
Great tips, Clarissa! I find deadheading really helps, and I feed my garden once a month with the popular Miracle Grow, whcih really does help.
Hi Pat…yes Miracle Grow can grow miracles. I use it too on ocassion. Thanks for stopping in and I am glad you enjoyed the article. Happy gardening and please stop in again. 🙂
Great tips! I haven’t tried putting mulch over my garden but it makes sense. I’ll bet your garden is beautiful clearissa!!
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Hi Lori, yes mulch is like a good Spanx. It helps to hide a multitude of sins. 🙂 My garden is okay but it could always improve. Thank you for stopping in.
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Congrats Clearissa! So happy to FEATURE one of our very own hostesses at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 30 ♥
Yaaay!!!!! Thank you Dee! I am so happy to be featured. 😉
Thank you so much!! 🙂
So pleased. Thank you.
Yaay! Thank you, thank you. 🙂
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Thank you so much. 🙂
Good tips – mulch, early or late watering help – it also helps to not live in Florida because it’s summer most of the time and hot. Just kidding! Great post!
Ha, Hi Carol, I just saw a thriller movie last night about Florida, “Crawl” and there appears to be another reason not to live in FL…gators. 🙂 Just kidding, I know it’s beautiful there. Thank you for stopping in. I’m glad you enjoyed my reprint. 🙂 Have a fab weekend.
Great ideas. I love gardening, but I hate the weeds. Thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.
I agree with you Rhonda. I hate weeding. But sometimes you just can’t around it. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in and have a lovely week.
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