Summer is the perfect season for creating a beautiful garden. There is a lot to do, and with some planning and the right practice, you can create the perfect outdoor atmosphere for enjoying a relaxing time with friends and family. Here are five tips to get you started:
1. Be Water Conscious
It goes without saying that water is essential to a healthy plant life, but it's even more important to be water conscious in the summertime. Use mulch beds to retain moisture and suppress weed growth. You can also use drip irrigation such as sprinklers early in the morning or late in the evening to keep plant wet.
2. Mix it up
Don't be afraid to mix things up a bit. Combining edibles with ornamentals was once frowned upon, but these days it's a great way to add texture and colors to your garden as well as an excellent pest repellant. Edibles such as raspberries and blueberries are attractive alone but can also be combined with annuals such as trailing nasturtiums for added color and beauty.
3. Change Fertilizers
Summer can be scorching not just for you but your plants as well. As temperatures rise and rainfall decreases the soil gradually reduces its ability to absorb nutrient in fertilizers and this can be harmful to plant health. To counter this problem, you can switch to liquid fertilizers if you are not already using that. Liquid fertilizers have a higher absorption rate in higher temperatures which works best for summertime.
4. Use Drought Resistant Plants
If you don’t have the time to tend closely to your garden the best thing to do is plant drought-resistant plants that require less time and attention. You can also plant them as a way to help the environment by saving water or if you live in a particularly dry region. When it comes to drought-resistant plants, most people immediately think cactus, but aside from this, there are some other great examples such as Brachycome, Blue Sage, Cliff Maids, Yarrow, Evening Promise, Gaillardia, Butterfly Bush, and Lavender.
5. Mulch as Much as Possible
Mulching is one of the most efficient ways to manage and keep your garden healthy all summer long. Keeping mulch around your garden not only gets rid of weed but also help to retain moisture. Furthermore, it regulates soil temperature which reduces plant stress. You can use a heavy layer of compost as mulch but if this is not available other materials like leaves and straw work well also. One of the best mulch treatment for weeds is a combination of shredded bark and wood applied about 4 to 6’’ deep.
With these few tips, you can begin to prepare for a radiant this summer season.
1. Be Water Conscious
It goes without saying that water is essential to a healthy plant life, but it's even more important to be water conscious in the summertime. Use mulch beds to retain moisture and suppress weed growth. You can also use drip irrigation such as sprinklers early in the morning or late in the evening to keep plant wet.
2. Mix it up
Don't be afraid to mix things up a bit. Combining edibles with ornamentals was once frowned upon, but these days it's a great way to add texture and colors to your garden as well as an excellent pest repellant. Edibles such as raspberries and blueberries are attractive alone but can also be combined with annuals such as trailing nasturtiums for added color and beauty.
3. Change Fertilizers
Summer can be scorching not just for you but your plants as well. As temperatures rise and rainfall decreases the soil gradually reduces its ability to absorb nutrient in fertilizers and this can be harmful to plant health. To counter this problem, you can switch to liquid fertilizers if you are not already using that. Liquid fertilizers have a higher absorption rate in higher temperatures which works best for summertime.
4. Use Drought Resistant Plants
If you don’t have the time to tend closely to your garden the best thing to do is plant drought-resistant plants that require less time and attention. You can also plant them as a way to help the environment by saving water or if you live in a particularly dry region. When it comes to drought-resistant plants, most people immediately think cactus, but aside from this, there are some other great examples such as Brachycome, Blue Sage, Cliff Maids, Yarrow, Evening Promise, Gaillardia, Butterfly Bush, and Lavender.
5. Mulch as Much as Possible
Mulching is one of the most efficient ways to manage and keep your garden healthy all summer long. Keeping mulch around your garden not only gets rid of weed but also help to retain moisture. Furthermore, it regulates soil temperature which reduces plant stress. You can use a heavy layer of compost as mulch but if this is not available other materials like leaves and straw work well also. One of the best mulch treatment for weeds is a combination of shredded bark and wood applied about 4 to 6’’ deep.
With these few tips, you can begin to prepare for a radiant this summer season.