Midsummer is when you really want to be outside, enjoying your garden. However, heat, rain (or lack of it), and insects can take their toll. Maybe your garden is looking a little lackluster right now. Thankfully, it’s easy to bring a garden back to life when it’s a little tired. Here are some simple ways you can give your landscape a summer refresh during the hot Maryland summer and enjoy it all season.
Catch up on Weeding
Clearing out the weeds can make your garden look a lot better with just a little work. If you want a quick break to enjoy the outdoors, weeding a small section of your garden is a good way to get some fresh air and feel a sense of accomplishment. When weeding larger spaces, try using a tool, like a stirrup or shuffle hoe, rather than just hand weeding. This will make the weeding faster.
Give Your Plants a Haircut
A great way to quickly get your garden back in shape is to deadhead and prune any plants that have grown unruly. Deadheading plants (pruning off old flowers about an inch below the spent blooms) can encourage more flowering. Cut back leggy plants like mint and basil, or petunias and trailing plants like sweet potato vines, to encourage fuller growth.
Keep up with Watering
Unless you’re getting a lot of rain, watering is important all season long, especially as your plants get bigger. If you’re having trouble remembering to water, add it to your calendar. You can also set up a sprinkler or drip irrigation system on a timer to make sure your garden stays in great shape. Pay careful attention to container gardens. They may require water twice per day.
Fertilize
By midsummer, many plants will need a little boost. This is especially true of potted plants, because regular watering can rinse nutrients out of the soil. Water soluble fertilizers, or foliar feeds like liquid kelp, are great for this time of year and can easily be incorporated into your watering routine. Always follow package instructions. More fertilizer is not better!
Declutter
Take a lesson from the latest interior trends and declutter your garden. Toss, repair, or donate any broken or unused tools, pots, and garden supplies. Organize what can be kept for future use so it will be ready when you need it during the rest of the summer or next spring.
Do a Little Painting
A simple coat of paint can do wonders for the way your yard looks. If your shed, fence, or patio furniture is looking a little drab, repaint it. It’s a great way to add a touch of color, and it can buy time before something needs to be replaced.
Fluff Your Mulch
You can lightly stir or fluff your mulch with a simple garden hoe. Some places may need additional mulch now that the mulch you put on in spring has settled and begun breaking down.
Replace Dead Plants
Plants die. It’s just a fact, and it has nothing to do with the greenness of your thumb. If you have plants that died and left an obvious gap in your garden, pop in some fresh ones to keep your garden looking beautiful for the rest of summer. Try easy-to-grow flowers like cosmos, marigolds, celosia, salvia, or petunias. Alternatively, add some texture with an array of succulents, or bring some more flavor to your backyard cookouts with hot pepper, basil, or oregano plants.
If your garden isn’t where you’d like it to be this July, try a couple of these tips to give it a little new life. Stop in at one of our locations if you need supplies or any additional advice. We’d be happy to help!