As the Temperature Rises

As the Temperature Rises

With some summer sun finally in the forecast, it’s a good time to take another stroll through the garden and get started on some mid-summer garden maintenance. Flowerpots and containers will likely need a good deadheading or trimming if they are starting to look a little overgrown, leggy or have fewer flowers. Deadheading of certain annuals, such as petunias, geraniums, daisy-types and others, should occur regularly but our early summer weather has been less than ideal. Deadheading allows the plant to keep pushing out blooms, rather that using energy to produce seed. Trimming back leggy branches, allows the plant to stay nice and compact, and use its energy to produce more flowering stems, resulting in more blooms. Don’t be afraid to gently remove and replace any annuals that have not performed well or are just over-tired, we have a great selection still in store to fill in any holes. Remember to water consistently and fertilize to keep your containers healthy.

In your perennial borders, you may need to do some staking of taller plants or those with large flowers, if you have not already done so. Peonies, delphiniums and other tall perennials can be staked using bamboo sticks, wood stakes, tomato cages, peony rings, etc. There are many staking options available to suit each type of growth habit. In cases where large perennials are flopping open in the middle, it may just be time to divide. Like annuals, some perennials that have bloomed earlier in the season can also be deadheaded or sheared back to encourage a second flush of blooms.

Harvesting from your vegetable gardens or containers may have already begun. Lettuce, kale, tomatoes, strawberries, cilantro and more have already graced several salad bowls at our table. There is no greater pleasure than reaping the rewards from growing your own. Keeping your edible gardens well watered and tidy throughout summer will keep you enjoying your own veggies and herbs all season long.

Have a good look at your trees and shrubs in your yard too. Inspect for any pest or disease problems, watch for sawfly larva nibbling on your spruce needles, prune out broken branches and water deeply in the heat of summer to encourage roots to grow deep. They will also benefit from a mid-summer feed of tree and shrub specific fertilizer; and finally, as the temperature rises on summer, don’t forget about your lawn! Watering consistently and deeply, mowing regularly and adding a mid-summer application of lawn fertilizer will keep it green and lush for the rest of the season.

Happy Gardening and Remember – Water, Fertilize, Maintain, Repeat!

Make sure to like us on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming social media posts on how to deadhead and trim back annuals and perennials, as well as other mid-summer maintenance how-to’s throughout the garden.