While some people perceive summer as the best time to head out to the beach, get some tan and frolic on the seashore, garden aficionados on the other hand see this as a great opportunity to plant some flower seeds and put up a garden filled with luscious summer flowers you can entice yourself with.
So what do expert gardeners do to ensure a successful summer garden?
Some of them share their most precious secrets so that you also get to experience the wondrous joy that only a summer garden full of lush and vibrant flowering plants can give you.
Soil Preparation is the key!
As we all know, summer is a dry season. Therefore, we should all help to conserve water at this time of the year. But how do we do that, when our flowering plants need great quantity of water to thrive and survive? The secret is to prepare the soil properly as this will help lessen the amount of water needed.
To prepare the soil for planting, you need to loosen it up to 12 inches. You also need to determine what kind of soil you have. If your soil is heavy on clay or mostly sandy, adding 2 to 3 inches of compost or organic matter on the surface of the soil will help in water retention and drainage. Afterwards, till the soil to a depth of 12 inches.
Select flowers that can thrive in dry season.
Most flowering plants need ample amount of water to survive but there are also annual and perennial flower seeds that would grow well even with little water. One thing you can do is to visit your local garden center so you get an idea of what flowering plants are in bloom for the summer. Most annuals and perennials that have grayish leaves are often more drought tolerant than other types of flowering plants.
Some of the drought tolerant plants that you can choose for your garden include bachelor button, cosmos, rocket larkspur, sweet alyssum, cosmos daydream, catchfly, clasping coneflower, lavender cotton, oriental poppy, Mexican sunflower, blanket flower, poppy mallow, purple coneflower, periwinkle and spider flower.
You can also check online to see what plants are available for the summer. Some online stores even offer a list of A to Z flower seeds to make selection much easier.
Know the many tricks in watering.
Proper watering means you do not simply pour water into the plants. For one, you must not water the plant on the foliage because water can evaporate before it can even reach the roots of the flower. The smart thing to do is to water directly down on the soil surface to penetrate the root system more effectively.
It is also advisable that you water your flowers in the morning hours or in the late afternoon. It is not healthy to water in the late evening hours because this causes fungi to breed and spread in your plants.
Keep in mind that annual flower seeds should be watered 2 to 3 times per week with 1 inch of water while perennials should be watered more deeply (more than 1 inch of water) 2 times or more per week especially during severely hot and dry seasons. Putting out a rain gauge in your garden will also help you determine when it is time to shower your garden with water.
Drip irrigation systems as well as soaker hoses are recommended to use because they water plants directly on the roots and will use less water than sprinklers. If you prefer to use sprinklers, make sure you install a timer so that you avoid wasting water.
Reduce fertilizer use.
Over fertilizing may result in little or no flowers in the summer because application of fertilizer requires more water. It is a better idea to use compost, which adds nutrients and more importantly, improves soil’s ability to retain and absorb water.
Do not forget to put mulch.
Application of 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch (take note of the word organic) between the flowers will greatly help in reducing evaporation as well as controlling of weeds that take up water. Apply it deeply in spaces between plants where the sun is likely to shine down on it and dry it out.
Take time to do some weeding.
We all hate weeding but more than any season, you need to do it more in the summer because weeds are known to be efficient stealers of water and nutrients that your plant needs to thrive. Mulch can help cut down weeds but if there are still weeds that pop out of your garden, spend some time to pluck them out before they do much damage in your flowerbeds.
Do some deadheading and de-leafing.
Deadheading which refers to removing spent flowers is necessary not only to maintain your garden looking beautiful but also to extend the blooms of the flowers. De-leafing on the other hand is essential to maintain a disease-free garden. Leaf diseases begin in areas where there are dead and decaying matter so before this happens take these out from your garden. Use pruners or scissors to cut off dead leaves and foliage.
Protect your garden from insects and fungi
Check at least once a week for insect pests in your garden. You have to take note that not all insects are pests because some serve as beneficial insects. You can make use of chemical insect controllers but be careful because you may end up killing even the beneficial insects.
As with the fungus, keeping the mulch loose in the soil so that air can circulate can help minimize the chance of fungi growth. Do not allow mulch to get packed down hard because this can be a breeding ground for fungus. Take time to loose it up frequently.
Putting up a summer garden may not be that easy. But once you see annual, perennial and wildflower seeds flourish into a lush of blooms, you will know that all your efforts are worth it.
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