Summer Garden Maintenance

Summer garden maintenance usually goes unnoticed, masked by the fervent activity of the plants themselves at the peak of their vegetative cycle. Because this is the season when a lot of the perennials rush to bloom, you don’t notice any glitches in the life of the garden unless you happen to fall behind on any of the following activities, in which case the charming haven of renewal immediately turns into an unkempt abandoned wasteland: -weed. Summer is weed heaven, especially if rain is generous. What’s good for the flowers is good for the weeds. Have you ever seen a well fertilized weed? It is even scarier than a non-fertilized weed. Anyway, this is a daily chore all through the summer, and trying to keep ahead of the green pests is a challenge even for the most disciplined gardeners. -water. Sometimes even twice a day. Isn’t it surreal that the plants managed to survive for millenia without our precious help and now they won’t stay alive for three days without water from a hose? -deadhead. Those wonderful blooms that make your heart leap with joy will fade eventually. If you want the garden to look pretty through its constant changes, keeping the perennials trimmed and neat is an absolute must. -mulch and fertilize. Most garden gurus advise to put off mulching until the soil maintains a constant temperature of over fifty degrees. As far as fertilizing goes, I tried going without and the plants didn’t appreciate it. Heavy bloomers are heavy feeders, they won’t give their best without nutritional supplements. -maintain the lawn. What’s so difficult about keeping grass looking good, you ask? Weeds. Bald spots. Yellow patches. Ant hills. Moles. Drought. Tree roots. Shade. Sun. Life as we know it. -tend to the vegetable garden. Veggies are like babies, they always need something, whether it’s pruning, staking, feeding or treating for pests.
If you think you’re done with your tasks, go weed. Even if you did it ten minutes ago, you’ll be sure to find something.